TWIW Companions
by Abizeau
Summary: One-Shots in other characters' POVs... Princess Millie, Queen Mother Andromeda, The Selected, and others! Must have read The World Is Watching to understand everything... xD
1. Millie's POV

**Princess Emilia Margaret Jane Schreave.**

 **-x-x-x**

 ** _Takes place between chapter 5 and 6, and during the Ball._**

Millie went through her own huge walk-in closet, where her dresses were not organized by color, but by Designer, and by length. And the shoes were organized by heel height. Sometimes she liked to change that order and just go with color. But since she mostly had the classic black pump – in many sizes and shapes – it was easier to do it by the heel.

And she usually chose her shoes first, then found an outfit to go with it. And she didn't need help choosing. When Eliza came back from Waverly, it was like she had never set foot in a walk-in closet in her life! She knew every single woman in Illéa would kill to be in Eliza's shoes, but the brat didn't even want this role. If only she could just step down, marry some commoner, live in New France and leave her to do the job.

Because everyone knew she was way more invested in this Princess-job than Eliza was. But unless she did something really stupid that forced her to step down, or die, there was no way Millie could take her place.

"Emilia?" her mother called out from the room.

Millie came out of the walk-in closet with a new outfit in her arms. "Yes, mother?" she said sweetly.

"Ah, there you are. Listen," the Queen said, elegantly sitting down on a plush settee, inviting her daughter to sit, too. "It's hard for your sister to come back here and start her Selection. Your father and I thought she would be more inclined to do it, more excited." She paused. _Like you would have_ , she didn't say, but both women thought. "So I'm asking you a favor. Please be kind to her, and help her, okay?"

Millie smiled sweetly at her mother. "Of course. I wouldn't let her do this alone. I'm going to take great care of her. I promise." She took her mother's hand and squeezed it fondly. Over the past years, while Eliza was gone, the two had bonded closely.

"Thank you, dearie," the Queen said. She stood and left.

Millie's shoulders dropped and her smile evaporated. Great. Now she had to babysit her big sister. But fine. If she had to do it, she would go big. Spa day, beautician, chocolate fountain, Champagne, everything.

She made calls and got everything ready. Why she actually wasted her time doing this, she didn't know. But oh, how she would have wanted a Selection of her own. Even though she already had Alaric. Just not with Princes and political things. She hated politics. But other than that, she would be a great Queen.

 **-x-x-x-**

The morning of the Ball, she went to Eliza's room to get her to her spa day. At least her sister would be out of the way for the day, and she could finish with the Ball preparations. There was so much to do, but Millie thrived on planning events and making everything perfect. Her heels resonated on the marble floors, a melody she loved above all else. It told the story of a woman with a purpose, ready to take on the world.

She snorted inwardly. She could never take on the world. But she loved to sneak out at night, when everyone was sleeping, and tiptoe in her fluffy slippers to the Throne room with a pair of heels in her hands, climb the stairs to the stage, sit on her father's throne, and slip on her stilettos. Myriads of stories would fight to come to life in her mind. Stories where she was Queen of Illéa. Empress of the world. And everyone loved her and bowed to her. Yes. She would be the Queen of Queens.

Until she remembered who she was, the second daughter, and head back to bed. She would dream the rest of the night of jewels, crowns, and power. And wake up in an excellent mood in the morning. When Eliza was still in Waverly, it was easy to keep that good mood. But now the sight of her sister drowned her good mood. The seed of Bitterness had been planted in her sweet heart.

Two footmen opened the Ballroom doors for her, and she found Henri Johnson going over some things with the butler and Head Housemaid. She joined their group.

"Everything ready?" she asked, plastering her best smile on her face.

"Yes, Your Highness," Henri said. He knew better than to call her by her name. "The Selected will be briefed this afternoon on the process of the Ball, but other than that, we're all ready."

"Excellent," she said. "We haven't had a party here in ages, and I can't wait!" Although she knew the last party was her birthday, a couple months ago. She walked around the Ballroom and made sure everything was just as she had pictured it, sometimes moving an item or another an inch to the right or to the left. It had to be perfect. Ruby would be there with a Camera crew, and everyone was going to see it. And eventually, people would ask who had organized it, and it would all come back to her. Yes. It had to be absolutely more than perfect.

 **-x-x-x-**

Later that evening, Millie kept an eye on her sister. If only just to make sure that she was screwing everything up. _Yes, drink. Be tipsy, and drunk. Make mistakes, so people know you're not qualified for this_. And of course, she had forced her sister to wear high heels, even though she knew Eliza despised them. It was her way of telling her _You're not fit for this job, sweetie_.

She delighted in watching her suffer from foot pain from dancing with each and every Selected. At some point, Eliza sat down on a chair, clearly trying not to massage her feet. But like a perfect sister, Millie came up to her with a plate of food. As much as she wanted her to screw up, there was a part of her that couldn't completely let her fall on her face, either. She was supposed to be the Perfect Princess. So she would act like one.

Later on, from what Ruby told her of the interview, Eliza had been quite tipsy. She couldn't wait to see it and laugh. But first, patience…

* * *

 _ **Hahahaha! so here you have it, the One-Shots companions! yay!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading this, too.**_

 _ **And this Series of One-Shots is dedicated to the Discord Alliance. xD**_


	2. Andromeda's POV

**Queen Mother Andromeda Naya Schreave**

 ** _Takes place at the end of Chapter 5._**

It was late at night, but Andromeda couldn't sleep. All this Selection was tiring her more than she thought. It was the third Selection she was going through. The first one was when she was a Selected herself, competing for Prince Jaxon Maximilien Schreave's hand. It was a hard competition. She was only a four, and there were so many better girls than her. But she decided to work extra hard, and learn everything that would help her be better than the others: etiquette, proper manners, several languages. Yes, even that dreadful German! It had paid off because Prince Jaxon had asked her to marry him.

The second Selection was her son's when Oliver was still just a Prince. Though this Selection had been the shortest to date: only a month long. Oliver had fallen head over heels in love with the beautiful redhead Elinor rather quickly. She was a Six, but he didn't care. He loved her and that was what was most important. Andromeda remembered how she and Jaxon tried not to interfere too much, trying to advise their son on taking his time and going through all the options.

But now, with her granddaughter's Selection, she thought it would be a vacation, with lots of guests. Until her son and daughter-in-law decided to bring politics in it, and throw Eliza to the wolves. Andromeda vowed to do everything in her power to help Eliza. Because this was downright cruel. She had given a piece of her mind to Oliver, but he wouldn't back down. He said this was the best way to try to stop the Mongasian War.

Andromeda rubbed her temples and she slowly pushed the covers away. She never closed her curtains at night, loving the moon rays that lit her moon in silver tones. She went to the window and noticed the full moon.

"No wonder I can't sleep," she said softly. Even after Jaxon passed away, she continued to talk to him as if he was still there. And it had been fifteen years, already. She never planned to marry again. Jaxon was the love of her life, and he could never be replaced.

She wrapped the fluffy robe around her thin body, slipped on her slippers, took her iPad, and went down to the Kitchens. She knew they would be deserted at this time of the night. She passed some on-duty guards, her head high. Once there, she didn't turn on the light and went to her personal cupboard, taking out a box of chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. This was her's and Jaxon's little pleasure when they couldn't sleep, or to brighten each other's mood. And this was just what she needed.

She turned on the tablet – given to her by her granddaughters on her seventieth birthday, because "a photo album was too archaic" they had said – and opened the photo App. She smiled fondly at the first picture that appeared: her wedding day. How young they both looked!

She then scrolled to the first pictures in chronological order. Eliza and Millie had taken the time to scan every single photo from her photo album, and found some more, and uploaded them to the Tablet. Pictures of her as a young woman in the Selection came up. She went through years of pictures, smiling, laughing, and sometimes crying.

She put the tablet down and nibbled on a cookie. She heard steps and stayed still. A lone person – female – came in and walked directly to the fridge. The cold light lit up her favorite granddaughter's face, and Andromeda smiled. She waited to see what she was going to do. She took a carton of milk, poured some in a mug and put it in the microwave.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

Eliza jumped and turned around, squinting in the dark. "Grandmother?"

Andromeda smiled. "Yes. At my age sleeping is a luxury in its own.

 **-x-x-x-**

 ** _Ball night, Chapters 7 and 8._**

Andromeda's heart broke when she saw how nervous and anxious Eliza was. The poor girl was practically trembling. Thank goodness Millie was helping her out. She wondered what those two girls were talking about. But when she arrived near the duo, Eliza seemed to be a bit calmer.

"Are you ready, Elisabeth?" Elinor asked her, squeezing her arm.

"No, but are we ever?" Eliza replied, and Oliver chuckled. Andromeda fought not to roll her eyes. How supportive her father was.

"It's going to be fine," Andromeda said, stepping in. "You look gorgeous, and if they don't fall at your feet because of it, then I don't know what else to do."

"What if I'm the one to fall? What if I spring my ankle or trip on my dress?" she asked anxiously.

Those were pretty legit anxious matters, so Andromeda decided to lighten the mood with a joke. "Then make sure you do so near one of the Selected," she said with a sly grin. "If you fall, they'll catch you."

Eliza chuckled nervously, but it was all Andromeda needed to hear. If only she could go in with her and hold her hand! But she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a strong woman and she could take care of herself. She needed to remember that.

Andromeda was announced after her son and daughter-in-law, and she walked down the steps and across the room her head high. She didn't really care about who was there, to be honest. She just prayed that Eliza could go through the whole thing without breaking down. She sat on her throne, to the left of the King and waited. When Eliza walked down the steps, Andromeda's heart burst with pride. She was gorgeous, held herself perfectly well, and smiled just enough. At some point, the Princess locked eyes with someone, and Andromeda followed her gaze.

Of course. Her Bodyguard. But she wasn't surprised. They had spent five years together in Waverly. Did she love him, though? She would have to find out. But for now, there was a Ball to focus on.

One after the other, the Selected were announced. Andromeda knew they were all way too young for her, anyway, but she had to dance with them. If she could only glean some information to help Eliza, the evening would be a success for her.

When Eliza chose the Prince of Monaco for the first time, Andromeda chuckled at Eliza's smart move. She couldn't do any damage with this choice! The country was way too small to be a threat, ally or enemy in the War. Even if they were one of Mongolia's allies, they weren't very heavy in the scales.

Andromeda had her first pick for her dance: the Belgium Prince, Sebastian Alexander Johan Frederick van Helms. Yes, she had memorized all the names beforehand, just like Eliza. He was surprised to be asked to dance with the Queen mother, but politely accepted.

She found out he loved animals and worked a wild-life conservation center. He didn't mind talking, and also told her that he liked playing soccer. Andromeda was surprised to hear him talk with a British accent, and he told her it was because he had studied in New England. She asked him why he had been picked to enter the Selection, and he said it was because his father, the King, had ordered it, but that he was fine with it.

Now she had to do that with all the boys. It would be a very long evening, but totally worth it.

* * *

 _ **Here's** ** _the_ second one! I hope you enjoyed it ;)**_

 _ **I know some of you wanted to write** (or already have) **one-shots with your characters, and it's really awesome! I would like to put them all in the same place** (if that's okay with you) **so they're not on lots of different accounts... So if you're writing a one-shot "Canon" to the story, please send it through PM, and I'll post it giving you all the credit! Just make sure to write when the one-shot takes place** (before chapter 1 is totally an option, yes! or the specific chapter) **so we can follow more easily.**_

 _ **That said, there's also a Pinterest Board called "TWIW Companion" but there isn't much on it yet. Mostly Salty Mille, and some Milliza aesthetics**_...

 _ **See you soon!** (I need to get back to the main story... haha)_


	3. Aleksander's POV

**Alexander Yves Demetri Narsson, Prince of Swendway**

 _[By Sabinethefangirl]_

 _-x-x-x-_

 ** _TWO YEARS BEFORE THE SELECTION, THE ROYAL PALACE IN STOCKHOLM, SWENDWAY_**

The Royal Palace in Stockholm is not a small house. Build in the place of the original after the Fourth World War, it now has five habituated floors and over 2000 rooms. Its ancient walls are lined with paintings, portraits, dark nooks, and secret passageways. The rooms are all decorated in royal blue, gold, and marble. The building is an impressive monument to Swendway's history and achievements, the world-famous Throne Hall most of all. It's more of an enormous room than a hall, rectangular shaped and displaying the throne and most treasured jewels of the kingdom. The Ballroom is, if possible, even bigger, taking up one end of the palace and two stories high. The Royal Palace in Stockholm is, in other words, an excellent place to hide.

And hiding is exactly what prince Aleksander Yves Demetri Narsson, second-in-line for the Swendian throne, was currently doing. Hiding is not something most young men of twenty-four do every day, and it is most certainly not something young princes of twenty-four do ever. In his defense, Alek had just come back from a year of traveling the world. Jetlagged as he was, he just wanted to go to his room and sleep. His mother, however, had other plans. That night, there was to be a big dinner to welcome him back. Almost his entire family had come out to see him. The only two unable to make it had been his uncle and aunt, something he could quite understand. When it is your job to monarch a country as big as the Arabian Kingdom, you couldn't just fly across the globe to welcome home a nephew you didn't see that much anyway. His cousins, however, had come out. They'd attached a vacation in Swendway to it, so at least it wasn't all for just one night.

Alek was sitting on a windowsill on the top floor of the Palace, watching the daily life of the people in Stockholm unfold outside when his sister found him. "Are you planning on staying here all night?" Jeyes was leaning against the wall opposite the window, her head cocked to the side as she regarded her brother.

"If possible, then yes."

"And if not possible?"

"Then I will run around the Palace all night to keep hidden." Alek sighed, turning to face his little sister. "Though I suppose, with you at my heels, it won't be as fun."

Jeyes chuckled, coming to stand next to him and wrap her arms around Alek. "Why are you so against having dinner with everyone? You said this morning that you wanted to tell us something. It is so bad if they all hear it too?"

Alek sighed again, relishing in his sister's embrace. She was three years younger than him, but much wiser. She'd always been able to give him the best advice — not in the least the last time he'd been home, when she'd told him that the best thing he could ever do was just follow his heart. He'd done exactly that, and spent a year traveling the world. It'd been the best year of his life, especially because he'd met Thomas.

"No. No, it's not, it's just…" Alek let his voice trail off, not quite knowing how to voice his thoughts. He got up from his seat on the windowsill, towering over his little sister. He grabbed her hand, telling her without words to follow him.

After they'd crossed almost the entire Palace, they finally ended up in the Throne Hall. Alek had taken them on a bit of a detour to avoid running into all the people he couldn't face just quite yet.

"Do you see all these people?" He threw out his arm, gesturing to the portraits of all of Swendway's former and current monarchs. "Each of these people — of our ancestors — have earned their spot on these walls. They've made sacrifices, hard choices, and came out on top. What if who I am — what I am — isn't enough to live up to their legacy?"

Alek faced Jeyes, his voice cracking. "What if I'm not good enough to be a part of our family?"

"Oh, Alek," she said, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "I don't know what you're going through right now, but you have to know that our ancestors weren't perfect. They made mistakes. We're allowed to do the same. And, besides, you're not the crown prince. You won't be king. You're beating yourself up over something that might not even be a problem."

Alek stepped away, letting Jeyes' arms fall to her side. The words he spoke were raw, laced with an intensity that made him shudder. He wouldn't have been able to keep them inside if he tried. "I'm bisexual, Jey. I like men and women. And I — I'm in love with a man."

"Alek…" He didn't turn around, didn't face her. Just stood there, looking at the portrait of his grandfather, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Jeyes walked up to him, offering him the simple comfort of her presence. "Who you love will never be equivalent to who you are as a person. If anyone ever tells you differently, they don't deserve to be in your life."

Alek nodded. He didn't answer her, not right away. It wasn't necessary. She knew that he heard her words.

 **-x-x-x-**

An hour later, Alek had finally decided to give up hiding and accept his fate. He would have dinner with his family, and he'd come out to them. It was just a few extra people. It was a relief, unlike anything he'd ever felt that Jey already knew, and that she was still there for him. He'd known, deep down, that she wouldn't hate him for it, but realizing that really was true, was better than he could've ever hoped for.

Dinner was tense. It was filled with silence, the only sound the clanking of cutlery and plates. Alek wanted to say something the whole time, but he was also scared. It wasn't until dessert had been served — and finished — that he scraped his throat. The small conversations that had finally started between his family came to a stop as he stood up.

"Before we end this lovely… dinner… I have something to say." His father didn't look at him, just carried on eating. His mother tried to softly tell him to pay attention, but her attempts were fruitless. She shot her son a look that said: I'm sorry, you know what your father is like. His aunt and uncle were looking at him with a smile and love in their eyes, a look so foreign to him he felt it in his heart. His sister, Amina, and her husband Koll were both smiling at him. All his cousins were too. Jey was beaming at him, sending her love and courage. Alek took a deep breath.

"I'm bisexual."

The response both was and was not what he expected. Jey was crying, which he had expected, despite the fact that she already knew. Ami and Koll both came up to hug him, just as the rest of his family. He was surprised by that; he'd expected it from Ami and Koll, hoped it from his mother, but he wasn't that close to the rest of his family. Even Faiz, husband of his cousin Åsa, came up to slap him on the back and tell him nothing would have to change.

What didn't surprise him was that his father had remained seated. He hadn't even looked up. Just carried on eating, as if nothing was happening.

"Sven? Don't you have anything to say to your son?" His mother was looking at his father, her voice cold. Alek had known they didn't love each other. He wasn't sure his father loved anyone. He still didn't look up when he spoke. "I no longer have a son."

The words hurt. They stung in Alek's chest, making it hard to breathe. He fought the tears threatening to fall, knowing that to show any sign of emotion would only make his father hate him more. Not that he would see it, but Alek knew that he would know anyway. He could still remember the last time they'd spoken. It was before he left for his year of travel, when he'd gotten his PhD.

"Well done, son." His father had looked up from his morning paper when Alek walked into the dining room. He knew what he meant — he'd gotten his PhD just days before, and this was the first time they'd seen each other since.

"Thank you, father." Alek sat down, hoping his father would say anything else. He didn't. He just put his attention back to his paper, ignoring his son for the remainder of breakfast. Alek knew his father was aware that he'd be gone for the next year, that he'd be traveling. He'd thought there might be a note of good luck, or even a goodbye. He should've known better than to hope. With his father, all hoping ever did was let him down.

He supposed it was still true. He hoped time and time again, thinking that maybe, this time it would be different. This time, his father would show him that he did care. He never did. And Alek knew that he never would. He simply didn't have it in him.

The rest of what little was left of dinner was finished in a silence even more uncomfortable than the first one. Everyone kept shooting Alek these little smiles, but the one person he needed to acknowledge him the most never did. Despite being twenty-four, Alek felt like he was a little boy all over again, waiting for his father to come read him a story before bed, like he'd promised that afternoon. He never came. Alek fell asleep sitting above his covers, and when he woke up the next morning, he knew that his father would never read to him. This time, he knew his father was never going to speak to him again.

* * *

 _ **THANK** **YOU SO MUCH, Sabinethefangirl FOR THIS AMAZING ONE-SHOT! It gave us some insight on the Swendish family and Prince. It was awesome!**_

 _ **Please review, and direct your reviews for Sabine, she'll be keeping an eye out for them ;)**_


	4. Kwasi's POV

**Prince Kwasi Anan Buronya Ofore, United Nations of Africa**

 _[By Michelle the Editor]_

-x-x-x-

 **\- Just a Little List -**

 _ **Takes place just before flying to Illéa, before the Selection.**_

"I think it would be more efficient if we put the undershirts inside the shirts they will be worn with," Kwasi said, reaching towards the pile of cotton shirts on the bed.

"Your Highness already said that the softer garments should be rolled and put on the bottom," the maid replied.

"We can still layer the pajamas and undergarments there."

The maid clearly resisted the urge to sigh, but started unrolling the bundles. Barely anything was in the suitcase itself, but there were several piles scattered around it on the bed. The packing had started an hour ago, when the sun was still up. Now night had fallen over the palace.

"Really, if you just let me pack this will all be much simpler, and you can go do something more important with your time," Kwasi said.

The maid paused, considered, and then nodded. She set the shirt down with a mixture of defeat and relief. "I'll leave you to do this in the way you see best, Your Highness."

"Thank you." Kwasi began pairing shirts and undershirts as the maid headed for the open door. As she entered the hall she paused and dipped into a quick curtsey.

"Your Highness."

"Thank you for trying, Marie," a female voice said, and Kwasi looked up. His older sister, Ataa Kakira, was standing there. She gave the maid a sympathetic smile. "But you were warned."

"Yes, your highness."

The maid slipped past Ataa as she entered the bedroom. "Making progress?"

"I've selected everything I should need, it just needs to be put into the suitcase," Kwasi replied, getting back to work. "What brings you up here? I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning."

Ataa moved a pile of pants and sat down on the bed. "I've prepared something for your trip and I'd like to go over it with you first."

"Oh?"

Ataa held up a sheet of paper covered in bullet points. Kwasi stopped folding and leaned in to see.

"Things Not To Do In Illea," he read aloud, and gave her a suspicious side-eye. "What is this?"

"You like lists, don't you?"

"I get the impression that this is somehow at my expense."

Ataa chuckled. "Kwasi, we both know that you're terrible with women. I'm just making sure you don't cause a diplomatic incident because you end your date at exactly 5:15 p.m."

Kwasi bristled. "I'm not a child, Ataa."

"No, you're a 50-year-old trapped in the body of a 23-year-old. I empirically have more experience with relationships than you do, and I'm older so you should listen to me. Besides, I've actually been to Illea before. Here."

She held out the paper, which Kwasi took with obvious reluctance. He skimmed through the list, mouth moving a little, then froze.

"Don't start a fight with Rafe?" He looked up at Ataa incredulously. "Rafe was picked?"

"Yes, he was, and you are not allowed to start anything with him. The situation is going to be complicated enough without a repeat of the Castle of Good Hope—"

"That's not fair," Kwasi interrupted. "That was five years ago, and the palace in Illea is a modern building, it's not going to be nearly as delicate."

"The point is that Rafe, strange as it is, represents South Africa in this Selection and you should treat him accordingly," Ataa said, though even she didn't sound entirely happy about it.

Kwasi huffed. "I'll do my best. I can't promise he'll do the same."

"You're the one I have to be concerned with, so you're the one I'm warning."

Shaking his head, Kwasi went back to the list. It wasn't terribly long or complex. Don't discuss the Mongasian War, distinguish your personal opinions from official positions, if you've been talking for more than 30 seconds straight give someone else a chance, that sort of thing. He did pause again at a set of indented bullet points. They outlined the physical differences between Crown Princess Elisabeth and her younger sister, Emilia.

"If I were so poor at reading context that I could mix up the Illean princesses, do you really think 'high forehead' and 'pink undertones' will be able to help?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Ataa did look a little uncertain. "It's an objective difference. I thought it would be easier for you to remember something physical."

"I don't think I'll need to play Sherlock Holmes, but thank you," Kwasi said with a gracious air. At least he'd been able to reclaim a little of his dignity.

"Just…" Ataa rose, looking more seriously at him. "Remember you're supposed to be courting a bride, not interviewing for a job."

Kwasi set the list aside and met her gaze, just as serious. "Ataa, please, have at least a little faith in me? I'm not completely socially inept."

Ataa's face fell. "Oh, Kwasi, I'm sorry—that's not what I meant."

"Of course not, that's why I'm telling you this," Kwasi replied as if it was obvious. "I appreciate that you're trying to help me, really, but at a certain point it stops being helpful and just becomes condescending."

"I know. I'm sorry," Ataa repeated. She let out a watery little laugh. "It's not so much that I'm worried about you, it's just knowing that if something does go wrong, I won't be there to fix it."

"You know that's a completely irrational impulse," Kwasi pointed out.

That made Ataa roll her eyes. "Yes, Kwasi, I know. That doesn't make it matter any less."

"Well," Kwasi started packing again, breaking eye contact with his sister, "If you start to miss me, you can always move up your wedding so I have a reason to come visit."

Ataa's expression changed instantly, as if Kwasi had just stomped on her foot. "Really? Really!? I have spent the last week and a half arguing with stuffy old men about inheritance laws just to make sure I still own my own property after I get married—and that only because Ahmed's not from Asanteman! Do you have any idea how complicated it is just making sure that I don't disqualify myself from the throne through some kind of legal loophole? I swear, Uncle Kwame has it in for me personally…"

Kwasi couldn't have stopped the rant if he'd tried, and he didn't want to. He wasn't a particularly sentimental man, but if this was going to be his last face-to-face conversation with his big sister, he'd rather have it be normal. Tearful goodbyes made him uncomfortable, but he had plenty of experience listening to Ataa vent. Smiling smugly to himself, he went back to his packing.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to Amazing** Michelle The Editor **for this One-shot! :D**_

 _ **Kwasi is definitely an intriguing character, and I can't wait to write him into TWIW, with a longer scene than the "door-opening" xD So, in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this little** **glimpse into this African** **Prince!**_

 _ **Credits and Reviews go to the writer of this One-Shot,** Michelle **!**_


	5. Jericho's POV

**Prince Jericho Andreo Francis Geraldo Velasco y Caharian IV, Oceanic Union**

[by Doctor Kay Sorceress Supreme]

-x-x-x-

 **\- Story of Tonight -**

 ** _This takes place in Oceania, in the royal palace, 18 months prior to the Selection._**

They were perfect together. Of course, they were.

Jericho watched Aleksey and Glorianna amid the other dancing couples. He remembered his older sister being reluctant about marrying the Russian tsarevich for the sake of the Union, but she didn't want to disappoint their parents. But she and Aleksey matched each other perfectly. They were happy. That tended to happen when two perfect people were put together. Now, they were wed, and Oceania had secured its alliance with Russia.

Their grandparents, the king and queen, were pleased with how well the marriage alliance had turned out. Glorianna had made Oceania proud, because, of course, she did. She was Miss Perfect. Jericho's parents hadn't stopped talking about how proud they were. Meanwhile, Grandma Sofia was chiding him for still being single at 23.

Was he bitter?

Maybe just a little bit.

He was happy for his sister, no doubt. He hoped to find that kind of happiness himself one day, though he couldn't imagine being shipped out of the country for a marriage alliance.

Jericho started out of the ballroom. He needed to escape the stuffy crowd. He managed to avoid his sisters, who would drag him onto the dance floor if they caught him and ducked out of his parents' sight to make his way out onto the massive patio outside. He pushed open the doors and immediately felt a rush of hot air. It was hotter outside, but he didn't mind because it was quiet. It was a fresh change from the chaos of the party.

Someone was already there, a young man a few years younger than him. He was standing by the stairs that led to the coastline. He looked up and regarded Jericho with cold eyes. Judging from his pale yet regal appearance, he was probably one of Aleksey's many relatives. Nikolai, he remembered, Aleksey called him Niko.

"Tsarevich Nikolai. Is it okay if I join you?" Jericho asked in English.

"Of course."

"Prince Jericho," he introduced, holding his hand out to the Russian tsarevich. "I didn't know if we met already."

Nikolai shook his hand. Jericho could tell he was examining him, and there was a coldness coming off his new cousin-in-law.

Still, his diplomatic training told him it would be considered rude not to engage Nikolai in conversation.

Jericho went over to the railing. "Why are you outside?" he asked. "Not a big drinker?"

"No," came the short reply. "You?"

Clearly, Nikolai wasn't much for conversation.

Jericho gave him a small smile. "I'm not allowed to drink," he said. "And I prefer the quiet. My family likes parties more than me. They're probably asking where I am."

"They would expect you there." There was a strong Russian accent in his voice.

Jericho chuckled and leaned against the railing. "They expect you there, too, but I want to be away for a while."

There was a moment of silence as they watched the waves wash onto the sandy beach. It was past midnight, high tide. Despite the late hour, it was still balmy outside. Jericho was half-tempted to go back into the airconditioned ballroom.

He glanced over at Nikolai, who was dressed in a full bespoke outfit, including the jacket. It didn't seem very practical, being outside in 25-degree weather in layers. "You are hot?" he asked.

The question seemed to catch him off guard, his eyes widening. "What?"

"Your, _ano_ ," Jericho gestured vaguely, searching for the English word. "Your suit. Isn't it hot for you?"

"Oh." Nikolai looked slightly embarrassed.

Jericho smiled. "But you look good in the suit." He clapped him on the shoulder. Nikolai flinched, causing Jericho to awkwardly pull his hand away. "I'm sure there is no weather like this in Russia?"

"We definitely do not. There's more snow than sand."

"I want to see snow one day," Jericho mused. "Even the mountains here are hot."

"Are you traveling a lot?" he asked.

Jericho nodded. "This is the first time I've been at the palace in months."

Nikolai frowned. "You dislike your family?"

"No," he said with a slight laugh. "I do charity work. Missions in the rural parts of the kingdom. Help the communities that don't have proper access to things like education and medicine."

"Why do you do that?" Nikolai asked curiously.

Jericho shrugged. "Why not?" He knit his hands together and stared out at the moonlit waters. "There is always an expectation of the Royal Family, a standard we are held to. But we are never too important to be kind to people. If we have more than they have, then we should give what we have. Even when we know we don't receive anything in return."

Nikolai gave him a thoughtful look, mixed with a bit of awe. Maybe he was warming up. He didn't say anything, instead, he simply nodded and turned back to look out at the ocean.

He reminded Jericho of his cousin, Aleksey; calm and quiet. A little standoffish and withdrawn, sure, but Jericho understood that. He sensed something else underneath. A softness, maybe, some kind of vulnerability.

The ballroom doors opened again, causing them to turn around. Jericho's best friend, Jem walked out.

" _Nandyan ka pala_ ," she said, sounding relieved. She spotted Nikolai and immediately dropped into a curtsey. "Your Highness."

"What is it, Jem?" Jericho asked, switching back to Tagalog.

"Your grandmother is looking for you. She says to see her right away," she said. "What are you doing outside again?"

Jericho exchanged a glance with Niko and smiled. "Just enjoying the peace and quiet."

* * *

 _ **Another amazing One-Shot by** Doctor Kay Sorceress Supreme **!**_

 _ **Note from Kay: I know Jericho talks a little weird but that's because he's not completely fluent in English, so he's got some weird linguistic quirks.**_

 _ **There you go! I hope you enjoyed this! All credits and reviews go to** Doctor Kay **!**_


	6. Kora's POV

**Kora Miller, Beautician, Caste 3, Angeles**

 _[by Abizeau]_

 **-x-x-x-**

 ** _Takes place during/after chapter 12_**

Ever since she had been hired to be Eliza's personal beautician, Kora could afford some pretty neat clothes, now. Even though she was a Three, being a beautician didn't really make for very comfortable living. She had left her parents' house the day she turned eighteen, claiming that she needed her independence. She had found a small apartment in downtown Los Angeles, big enough to have her own beauty salon in it. It was hard to get started, but now she didn't care. She had a job at the palace, although had to be free whenever they called. For now, she had been called only twice, but she knew she at least a once or twice appointment per month.

Right now, she was at her parents' home with her older brother and younger sister, to watch the Report, a family tradition for as long as she could remember. They always liked to eat popcorn, criticize live the Royals, and make fun of them. And that night was no different.

Her brother, Kyle, was bitter about the whole international Selection thing, and he was ready to vent and give a piece of his mind. Kate, their younger sister who was training to become a surgeon, always tried to even out the criticism and find something nice to say about the royal family. But even she had to admit that it was hard, this time. The Princess had made a total fool of herself.

"This is our future Queen?" Kyle asked, snorting. "She can't even hold her drink, and it's just _Champagne_ ," he said with disdain.

Kate rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. _Better keep your mouth shut when you don't have anything nice to say_ , her mother used to tell them when they were kids. Kate seemed to be the only one out of the three who had actually listened to that.

Kora laughed as her brother continued to make snarky and nasty comments about the suitors. "That one's full of himself," he said about the Russian guy. "He thinks he's funny with his meta comments?" Kyle snorted when the New Asian guy mentioned Young Adult novels. "And who let that emo Prince in? Seriously?!" He exclaimed when he saw the German one. "I can't believe they let in some military guy!? What if he's there only to get military Intel for his country?" Kyle threw his hands in the air. "This would never happen in a normal Selection." He sighed and listened to Eliza's last bit of interview.

Kora cringed inside at the drunk Princess's interview and she felt kinda bad for her.

"This is not a Selection! This is a zoo!" Kyle said when Eliza mentioned the cat and the sugar glider, whatever it was. "Unbelievable," he muttered, stuffing a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

Kora sighed. At least he would be silent while chewing. The princess really looked tipsy, if not drunk. A close-up of her reaction to the video appeared on the corner of the television screen. She was doing a major facepalm.

Kora usually would have laughed, but this time she couldn't find it in her to do so.

Kyle laughed. He burst out laughing, hitting his thigh. "Look at her!" He snorted, almost choking in his popcorn. "Even the Selected don't take her seriously. Look! They're laughing, too."

"Shut up, Kyle," Kora said.

That made her brother shut up. But not because she had ordered it. It was because she wasn't laughing with him. "What?"

"You heard me," she said. "And don't you dare say anything else about her. I saw her the day of the Ball. She was a ball of nerves, and I've never seen anyone this tense before. It took me _ages_ , way longer than usual, to relax her muscles."

Kyle swallowed the popcorn in his mouth. "Wait. You're defending her? What did you do with my sister? Kora? Where are you? Get back here."

Kora glared at him.

"The princess is kind of her boss," Kate said, trying to appease the tension.

"That's not why I'm saying this," Kora said. She stood from the couch and looked at her whole family. Her parents hadn't said anything yet. "Just try to put yourself in her place," she started. "For the past, I don't know, five, six, seven years? She was a normal student. With a student life. Probably cooking pasta and washing the dishes-"

"Are you kidding? She had a whole household of staff to do that for her!" Kyle countered. "She knows nothing of the real student life, Kora. So stop trying to pretend you know that."

Kora felt that as a personal blow. "Listen to me, Kyle," she said threateningly. "That girl went through so much more than you can imagine. She has three Masters degrees, for crying out loud! And it's much more than you have, Mr. Assistant Vet!"

"Okay, that's enough," their father bellowed, standing up. "Yes, this drunk girl will be our next queen," he said. "And you better remember that, young man," he added, wiggling his index finger in his son's face. "She didn't choose this, the King did. And if what Kora said is true, she would have much more preferred a _normal_ Selection."

"Kyle is right, honey," Kora's mom said. "She's a Princess. She should know better than to behave like this. And if she's going to be our next queen, then she better start behaving like one. Who needs three Masters degrees when you're queen?" She asked, getting all riled up like her son.

Kora fumed. They had no idea how Eliza had been tense and nervous. She would have probably done the same thing: Champagne. "Kate?" Kora said. "Who's side are you on?"

"Oh no," Kate said leaving the living room. "I'm not getting involved in this. I've got an internship at the hospital to prepare for."

Kora grunted and headed to her car, wanting to head home. She took her phone and wanted to actually call the Princess to see if she was okay, but she realized, after going through all her contacts that she didn't have her number. Of course, she wouldn't. She checked the number who had called her to hire her, but it was a hidden number. She couldn't find it. She let her head fall on the head-rest, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Why was she even bothering with this? The Princess was the least of her concerns, right?

* * *

 _ **I just had this little Kora POV idea and wrote that on the train with my phone xD hope you enjoyed it!**_

 _ **And by the way, I just wanted to thank you all for your investment in this story, and for not only replying super quickly to my questions** (on Discord or through PM) **but also actually writing stuff for TWIW Companions!** (I wasn't even sure you would actually do it^^) **so THANK YOU!**_

 _ **Oh, and if you haven't, already, go check out**_ Millyna's _ **One-shot** (on her FF account) **of Adern's POV during the Ball! It's hilarious! It's called "Master Adern's Tales".**_


	7. Quin's POV

**Prince Quinlan, South American United States (S.A.U.S)**

 _[by Tis I, The Most Frienchiest Fry]_

 _-x-x-x-_

 ** _Five years before the Selection_**

"You _all_ need to be on your best behavior, do you understand?" Dad demanded, glaring at me in particular.

"Yes, Dad." We all said before Dad left the room. Tyronne and I exchanged a look. Lynna, my older sister, turned on me and Tyronne.

"Do not interfere with this you two." She said, already sensing our plan. She then proceeded to walk out of the room, leaving me and Ty to plan.

"I'm out," Ty said. Disbelief filled me.

"What?!" I asked. He couldn't just walk out on me like that!

"It's too much work, Quin." He said in his cold way, then followed in Lynna's footsteps and walked out of the room.

"Fine." I huffed. "I'll drive away Lynna's gross suitors by myself," I said. We had met them earlier that day, and so I knew who I was going to target first. I went to my room to grab some supplies and a backpack to put the supplies in, then proceeded to go to each of Lynna's suitors' rooms. There were three in total, and I had three brilliant pranks planned. Lynna was greeting them, so I didn't have to be worried about them being in their room.

My first stop was at this one dude who was super monotone about everything.

"It's cool." He had said when asked what he thought of the palace. My palace was the best palace, it was more than just 'cool'! So for him, I adjusted the temperature of his room to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit (roughly negative nine degrees Celsius) and then rigged the thermostat to readjust itself to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit every time it was changed. At least some of the robotics classes Mom had made me take had paid off. I then grabbed a small bucket I had packed and ran to the bathroom, filling the bucket with water. I then threw the water all over the bed, and then over the floor and walls. I repeated that action until everything was coated with water. Now the palace was 'cool'!

Next, I went to the suitor who said that the palace was supposedly 'filthy' when no one but I was looking.

He had cringed at the slightest speck of dirt, so I took cockroach cut-outs Ty had put in my room a few weeks ago, and put them on the insides of a few lamps. I grabbed a few old toilet paper rolls and wet them, then tore them apart. I wrapped them together again, and put them in hidden places throughout the room. They looked like poop, which was kinda childish of me but whatever. I also emptied his toothpaste and filled it with mustard. This had to be enough to scare him off, he had practically fled when he saw a pile of dirt a maid was cleaning up.

I stopped at Ty's room to grab some stuff. I went to the blond kid's room last, a devious plan in my head. I grinned evilly and grabbed some supplies out of my backpack. He was the one who treated me like a little kid, even though I was eighteen. He also treated Lynna like he was better than her, which he was obviously not. He was not better than Lynna or me. Ty, maybe. For him, I had the best prank.

When we had first greeted him earlier that day, he had thought he had seen an ant and had freaked out. Sure, I didn't like bugs, but I'm not afraid of them. So while I was in Ty's room, I had grabbed his ant farm.

"Here little guys, be free," I muttered as I released the ants into the guy's bed. I made sure to put a few crumbs in the bed. I forgot how many ants Ty had, but it was a lot. He literally had a palace for the ants. My older brother was weird.

By the time the blond dude got back, the ants would be all over the room, and the blond guy would leave the palace.

The next morning, the suitors were nowhere to be found. Lynna said they had left early in the morning, each of them giving some horrible excuse like 'my room was freezing', 'there were bugs all over', and 'my room was filthy', and all of those were horrible insults to my parents and the palace, so Dad let them go with an angry expression apparently.

Dad never brought more suitors home again.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to The Most Frenchiest Fry for this funny One-Shot! we got ourselves one prankster among the Selected...! But does he realize that**_ **he's** _ **one of the suitors, now? xD**_

 _ **All credits and reviews go to The Most Frenchiest Fry!**_


	8. Tomlin's POV

**Lord Tomlin, New England**

 _[by Headless Gummy Bear]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _One year before the Selection: South Upton Street, London, New England_**

Tomlin walked down the boulevard, his date, Paulina in hand. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The date was nearly over and she hadn't been scared off by any flashing cameras.

"Dinner was quite lovely," she said, "Thank you for taking me, Tom."

"Absolutely," he replied, "Did you end up trying the scallops? They were my favorite, I think."

She blushed, "No, I'm not really a seafood person."

"What a pity! Though your salad looked delicious as well. Perhaps next time we can go for something sweeter?"

A grin spread across her face, "Wishful thinking isn't it, that you'll get a next time?" she teased.

Tomlin turned to face her, "Is that so?" He couldn't help but hide the smile. Things were going so well, he was confident that she would join him again. They were only a few steps away from her flat, and he saw his town car parked on the street in front of it. "Then I may just have to convince you." He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss, nothing too extravagant for a first date.

Dread filled his veins, though, when he heard the commotion of a small crowd turning down a street, and behind closed eyelids saw the flashing of cameras.

Paulina pulled away, horrified. Tomlin's first reaction was to cover his face with his arm, hopefully ruining their photos. He gripped her hand tighter, and pulled her down the street in a brisk run. His heart fell as Paulina pulled away as soon as she reached her doorstep. She quickly unlocked the door and shut it behind her. He had little time to lament the poor ending to his date though, and reached to unlock his car. There was a screech of his tires as he drove away. With any luck, he was parked over a puddle, and could douse one or two reporters in mud during his getaway.

 **-x-x-x-**

 ** _At Hampton Court Palace, London, New England_**

There was a thud of the apartment door as Tomlin tried, and failed, at sneaking in.

"Dammit," he whispered under his breath.

"Tom, is that you?" Tom heard his brother call from the kitchen.

Well, there goes that hope that nobody was home. "Yeah." He gave up trying to be quiet and met his brother in the kitchen. "Hey, Joe."

Joe appraised his brother's casual outfit. Tom wore a leather jacket over a simple t-shirt and denim jeans, looking nothing like Joseph who had gotten home from a long day of meetings in his button down and trousers.

"Where were you tonight? I thought you told father you weren't feeling well and that's why you couldn't come to the parliament sessions?"

"You know, that's completely right," Tom said, badly lying. "I was going out for some fresh air, that's all."

Joseph smiled, "Right. And that's just cough syrup on your lip then?"

Tom's hand flew to his mouth and wiped it. He saw on his hand the remains of the red lipstick Paulina had worn, and groaned.

"Don't worry, I won't tell dad."

"You never do," Tom said behind a smile.

Tom came to sit with Joe. He poured himself a cup of tea from the kettle Joe had already prepared. "He's going to find out anyway though," Tom said after a moment. "Guess who crashed my date."

Joe sighed, "Not again. How do they keep finding you?" Joe asked.

"Not sure, but you can bet that she won't be calling me back. They never do," Tom said.

There was silence, as the two brothers sipped their tea.

"How did you find time to date Nessa?" Tom asked.

Nessa, or Vanessa, was Joseph's longtime girlfriend. She was a commoner, a school teacher who had gone to college with Joseph's friends. They started out as a blind date and hit it off. Tom was extremely happy for his brother for finding the love of his life, but was quietly jealous that it'd been so easy for them. Ever since, Tom earned the reputation of being a loose cannon for completely normal things that 20-something-year-olds do for fun. He'd been hounded by photographers and journalists that would twist his actions into something more reckless than they were. He couldn't even take a girl out on one date without being called a player in the news. Since this began, he's been on a tighter leash than ever.

"It was hard, but we made it work. I am lucky I found a girl who doesn't mind sharing some of the spotlight."

"You know, this kind of drama associated with dating is why my favorite four months every year are the ones I spend in other countries."

Joe chuckled. "Yes, well, we do like it when you are here with us. Even if you can be a pain in the neck."

Tom stood and looked through the pantry, trying to find cookies to pair with his tea.

"So, should I tell dad, or let him figure it out from the papers in the morning?" Tom asked. He held one hand out, like he was forming the headlines in the air. "Tomlin Calvert disappoints King Benjamin, once again!"

He found dark chocolate wafer cookies, and opened them, fully intending to finish the entire package.

"I guess whichever comes first. You've never been an early riser."

 **-x-x-x-**

"What is this all about?!" Prince Vernon, Tom's father yelled at his morning paper. "Tom!" He called through the door of his study. Instead, a housekeeper came in.

"Apologies, Your Highness, but Lord Tomlin is still in bed. Would you like me to wake him up?"

Vernon looked at his watch. It was nearly noon! What was that boy still doing asleep?

"Yes! And send him here at once!" The housekeeper scurried off. Prince Vernon was rarely the angry sort, but when he did lose his temper, it typically involved Tom.

Only a few short minutes later, Tom appeared. His hair was a mess, and he wore the same tee shirt and jeans from last night, without the leather jacket. The tea and cookies had knocked him right out once he got into his suite. "Good morning, father."

"Tomlin. Huxley. Calvert. Care to explain last night?"

His father handed him the newspaper, and in bold lettering, over a picture of him and Paulina mid-kiss, it said, **_Lord Tomlin the Ladies' Man: Caught Again!_**

 _"The Earl of Sussex has once again been caught skipping out on his royal duties to hook up with nearly every eligible bachelorette in London. The couple was caught on the south side of Upton Street, after what appeared to be a romantic dinner. This is the third time this month that he's been seen out, and each time with a different girl. During this time, his older brother, who has been in a relationship with Miss Vanessa Monroe for the past four years, joined his father, Prince Vernon, in opening a session of parliament today. Tomlin was nowhere to been seen, until later that evening. Is this new girl the one who slows Tomlin down, or will he hit and run, just like the rest of his ventures?"_

Tom couldn't read anymore. He was tired of hearing the speculations over and over again. He'd been called a number of things in the press, and was slowly learning to ignore it. Tom said nothing in response the paper either, preferring to hear his father's lecture quickly so he could get his breakfast in peace.

"I cannot be seen as someone who cannot control my son. What will your grandfather say? How many times must you make the same mistake over and over again?"

Tom bit his tongue, wishing he could defend himself. It was clear he could learn from his past mistakes, as any time he tried to defend himself in this situation he only got in worse trouble. It was easiest to let it pass.

"Son, if you wish to date anyone, that is fine, but they must be brought to the palace, where you all can be safe from prying eyes and tabloids that wish to make a mockery of our family."

And that's where Tomlin couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "Father, I don't want to get to know these women under the numerous eyes of my family. I want to have normal dates, with normal girls. I want to go to her favorite pizza place, to the museum, and then return at the end of the day without it being a royal scandal."

"Tom! You are not a 'normal' man. You are the grandson of the King, and that means that you have a certain image to uphold. There will come a day that you will find a girl just like your brother did, but you must follow protocol when you do. Or _this,"_ his father shook the newspaper at him, "will keep happening!"

Tom hated fighting with his dad. He shut his mouth, resisting the temptation to push the issue further.

"I'll meet you for lunch today with your Grandfather at Buckingham. I'm sure he will have words as well. Please shower before you come, and maybe wear a suit this time." With the discussion put on pause, for now, Tomlin turned and left his father's study to go find some breakfast.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to**_ Headless Gummy Bear _**for this One-Shot of Tomlin, our Prince from New England!**_

 _(there's gonna be a second one of Tomlin later! Yay!)_

 _ **Credits and Reviews go to Gummy!**_


	9. Nikolai's POV

**Tsarevich Nikolai, Russian Empire**

 _[by OctaviaWithStarsForEyes]_

-x-x-x-

 **\- Yolki-Palki -**

 ** _Takes during chapters 7-8, The Ball_**

The third song of the night came to a stop, and Nikolai stepped back, bowing to his partner. She was some Illéan girl, presumably some movie star or something. For some reason, that gave her access to the most important ball in the country. Ridiculous really, but he bowed politely despite his thoughts.

She curtsied back, giggling as he offered a well-practiced smile.

"Excuse me," he murmured in English, and slipped off the dance floor.

Dance wasn't his favorite activity, if he was honest. No wait, that wasn't it. _People._ People wasn't his favorite activity.

He had no problem with dancing, but all the people around were stressing him out. It felt like his father's eyes were somehow watching him in the crowd, seeing every mistake he made.

Shaking off the creepy sensation, Nikolai drifted to the table on the side and grabbed a flute of Champagne. He swallowed a yawn rising in him as he surveyed the scene, and tried to open his eyes wider, if only so he wouldn't look as tired as he felt.

He'd only gotten in about four hours ago, and the flight to Illéa was a long one. He didn't sleep well on planes. Actually, he didn't sleep very well anywhere anymore, but moving things especially disturbed his sleep schedule.

Nikolai took a sip of the Champagne, hiding a grimace. Doubtlessly it was incredibly high-quality Champagne, but he did so loathe Champagne; it was terribly dry. Still, he figured it wouldn't endear him to express his disgust, so he took another sip. This was the exact reason he nearly choked and jumped out of his skin when a figure appeared at his shoulder.

"Hey, Nikolai!"

" _Yolki-palki_ ," he swore quietly, coughing discreetly as champagne went down the wrong pipe. Recovering quickly, he turned, irritated, towards the familiar smiling face of Prince Jericho of Oceania holding a glass of what appeared to be–yeah, that was definitely cranberry juice.

"You're here?" He asked hoarsely, voice scratching. He cleared his throat, and tried again. "You're who they sent?"

"Sure," Jericho said, shrugging. "Why would they not?"

"I don't know," Nikolai said. "I have never understood much about Oceania."

"Yeah, well, Oceania does not really have much of male options, so here I am," Jericho grinned, turning his palms up. "How are you doing? I feel like it has been so long since we have seen each other."

"I've been well," Nikolai responded, swirling his drink so a miniature whirlpool appeared in the pale gold. "How are you?"

"I have been better," Jericho admitted, and upon closer examination, Nikolai noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"When did you come?" Nikolai asked, frowning.

"Six hours before," Jericho answered. "You?"

"Four hours ago," he said. "It is about eight in the morning in Sankt Petyrsberg."

"Your flight was how long?"

"Around fourteen hours," Nikolai responded. "What time is it in Oceania?"

"It is lunchtime tomorrow," Jericho said. "But _hindi ako natulog_ –I do not sleep well, you know? On planes, it is hard. So I just sleep all afternoon. It is like early morning to me."

Nikolai didn't nap. He should have, but he didn't like the way the servants provided hovered around him. He didn't want to sleep with them around. So basically, he'd been awake for more than twenty hours now, and boy was he feeling it. Fortunately, he didn't sleep much anyway, so it wasn't too hard to pretend as though everything was fine.

"Your cousin is very well, by the way," Jericho spoke up. "When last I saw him, he and my sister are doing charity work in the south."

"As expected of Aleksey," Nikolai replied.

"And Glory," Jericho agreed.

"What do you think of Elisabeth?" Nikolai inquired, glancing over at the princess, who was giggling in front of an almost comically oversized camera.

"She seems...fun," Jericho said slowly. "Interesting choice for the first impression."

"Are you talking about that dress or the fourth glass of champagne?" Nikolai asked casually, eyeing Eliza, who stumbled sideways before catching herself.

Jericho gasped and laughed quietly before he could stop himself. Recovering quickly, he aimed a scolding look at the Russian prince. "Nikolai! Be careful. Someone can hear you."

Nikolai pursed his lips, shoulders lifting in a tasteful shrug. "If they insist on making Elisabeth the heir, is it not her responsibility to at least act the part? It's hardly so queenly to act this way, and at the first presentation of suitors as well."

"She probably is just nervous," Jericho said, a chiding note in his voice. "No need to be so harsh. We hardly know him yet."

" _Her_ yet," Nikolai corrected absently, to which Jericho nodded his thanks.

There was a brief pause as both of them watched Eliza scrunch her nose and talk to the Report host, whatever her name was.

"Is it not funny that we're here competing for her heart?" Nikolai commented, studying the Illéan princess. "We don't even know her."

"It does not feel much like competition," Jericho agreed. "Who knows what she likes? How will we know how to win her?"

Jericho probably didn't have to think very hard at all, Nikolai thought bitterly to himself. Eliza would never be able to resist his relentless warmth. Hell, the same trick had worked on him. For Nikolai, trying to figure out how to win Eliza was much more complicated. He wasn't naturally friendly like Jericho, or romantically experienced like some of these other princes were. He wasn't entirely convinced he would know if he did fall in love. Not that it was very likely. Nikolai wasn't ever going to get love. Inevitably, he would marry for political strategy, be it here in the Selection or some other country in the wake of his failure. It didn't matter what he wanted.

"Well, we can certainly do our best," Nikolai said at last. "I'm sure both of our families are placing great expectations on us."

"If we lose, I suppose we will have to hide out in wilderness of shamefulness," Jericho said seriously.

"I suppose we will," Nikolai agreed, equally deadpan. "But what will we eat?"

Jericho looked at him, expression grave. "Only the fish we catch and the fruit we pick."

Nikolai sighed lamentingly. "It will be a difficult life, but it must be done."

"Cheers, Niko," Jericho said, clinking their glasses with a grin. "If we are disgraced, we're disgraced together."

"Cheers," Nikolai agreed, smirking. If he was honest, he wouldn't want to be disgraced with anyone else.

"Your Highnesses, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Nikolai and Jericho turned to find the Queen Mother, Andromeda Schreave watching them with a benevolent smile.

"No, Your Majesty," Nikolai said instantly, stiffening to attention. "Excuse our rudeness."

"Nothing to excuse, Your Highness," Andromeda said politely. "I was wondering if you'd deign to dance with me for a moment?"

He was taken aback by the question, but recovered quickly.

"It would be my honor," he said coolly. He nodded goodbye to Jericho who gave him double thumbs up as he led Andromeda onto the dance floor.

She was graceful, even in her old age, which was a small mercy. More than anything, Nikolai loathed uncoordinated dancers.

"So, Your Highness, tell me about yourself," Andromeda said. Not a request, a command.

"My name is Nikolai Pavlovich, eighth in line," he began. "My job as Tsarevich includes–,"

"No, no, none of that," Andromeda shook her head. "I mean, about you. How are you feeling?"

Nikolai hesitated, caught off guard.

"I am well, Your Majesty," he said stiffly, twirling her easily.

"Please, call me Andromeda," the older woman corrected gently.

Nikolai grew more confused, his mind spinning. This was not how it was done. This was too informal, it was against all the etiquette rules. But she was Queen Mother, he couldn't exactly disagree with her.

"...Andromeda," he said reluctantly. "I am well."

"Really? I'd be fairly overwhelmed in your place," Andromeda said, eyebrows raised. "You're really doing fine?"

Was this a trick question? Was she testing him? What did he say?

"I–," he missed a step, which never happened, and went red as he recovered. "My apologies. I am doing the best I can under the circumstances. I am glad to be here making my country proud."

Andromeda seemed to pick up on his panic, because she didn't push any more than that.

"And how are you finding it in Illéa?" She asked.

Nikolai sighed internally with relief. Thank god she'd dropped it. "It's very nice, although I admit, I'm more likelier to find it better in the morning. I haven't had many sleep."

"Of course, I understand." He noticed she seemed much more pleased when he was candid and made a note of it. He wouldn't be able to win this thing without approval from Andromeda.

"And of my granddaughter? It's no secret things are tense between our countries, Your Highness. Are you hoping to win Princess Elisabeth's heart?" Andromeda probed.

Nikolai was a little impressed, honestly. Andromeda had no fear in her heart, she went in for the kill simultaneously bold and graceful.

"I will do my best, Your Ma–," he caught her look, "–Andromeda. I can only hope that will be enough."

"Well said, Your Highness," Andromeda said, seeming amused. "Then I wish you luck."

"Thank you," he said. Then without thinking, he blurted out, "My family expects me to succeed here. I cannot let them down."

Andromeda studied him with her steady blue eyes, a note of almost pity in those ocean depths. "Pavel's son, right? I met him once, long ago. That must be difficult."

"Of course," Nikolai said defensively, though he couldn't place exactly why he felt that way. "He's a great man. I have big feet to fill."

Andromeda didn't correct his mistake on the saying, just nodded.

"Thank you for the dance, Your Highness," she said as they whirled to a stop.

"Unfortunately, I must talk with some of your fellow competitors. Good evening."

"Good evening," he echoed, bowing low, "–Andromeda."

She bestowed him with one warmer smile before gliding away. Nikolai walked in a bit of daze back over to where Jericho was standing.

"She said what to you?" Jericho asked curiously. "You are panicked? You are never panicked before."

"I'm not quite sure," Nikolai murmured, brow knitted. "She's not how I thought she'd be."

"How did you think she was going to be?" Jericho raised an eyebrow.

"Like Grandmama Sonya," Nikolai admitted.

"She is not like that?" Jericho asked, surprised.

"No. She's...different," Nikolai said thoughtfully. "This is going to be a very interesting event."

"Four glasses of champagne not looking so bad now, huh?" Jericho grinned.

Nikolai mustered a smirk. "Just stop me if I ever show up in a red dress."

* * *

 _ **Thanks** OctaviaWithStarsForEyes **for this Jeri** x **Niko One-Shot! :D and for including Andromeda! it was really fun to read!**_

 _ **What do you guys think?**_

 _ **All credit and Reviews go to** Octavia **! :)**_


	10. Rama's POV

**Prince Rama, Kingdom of India and Bangladesh**

 _[by The Pocketwatch Ripper]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _A week after Selection invitations were sent – Grand Palace New Delhi, India_**

Rama sighed as he sat in his chair, it had been so long since he had been to the grand palace in New Delhi. It had been even longer since he saw all his siblings gathered in the conference hall, sitting on either side of him.

Nobody told Rama why all of them were gathered, and it bothered the young prince. He glanced down at the papers in front of him deciding to distract himself with reports on the population of the wildlife in Bengal. With the prosecution of poachers, Bengal Tiger populations were slowly rising. The numbers on sun bears were a bit murky but their population was slowly rising. Rama placed the report down, that's all he needed to know. His gaze went over to his siblings, all occupied with something

Ali, his eldest brother and the crown prince of India was fast asleep in his chair. Rama figured he must have been tired after working around the clock to help improve lives in India.

Meera, his eldest sister was busy reading a magazine, some papers scattered in front of her, no doubt her report on the State of Pakistan. All the papers were signed and had official looking stamps on them, it seemed Meera had done her work.

Next to her was Sita, the third eldest sister and the official Duchess of Nepal, though her aunt filled in for her while Sita taught at the University of New Delhi. Sita had her hair tied up in a tight bun as her eyes scanned over a stack of papers, her pen making a few marks before stamping them and moving them into a pile next to her. Rama wondered if she was grading tests.

Arjun, the Duke of Sri Lanka sat reading a book, oblivious to his siblings. Rama turned his head to his young siblings

Shakti and Ananya were reading from a script to each other. Rama didn't bother to wonder what they were reciting to each other, those two mostly kept to themselves. Rama couldn't remember the last time he had a normal conversation with either.

Rama's youngest brothers, Karna, Shiva and Agni were all occupied with a game of blackjack. Rama eyes lingered over their cards quickly realizing that his younger siblings had no idea how to play. Rama felt like teaching them but before he could, the large door at the end of the hall opened. Two well-dressed servants held the door open and Rama's father, King of the Kingdom of India and Bangladesh entered, Krishna Chakrabarti. The king took a seat and cleared his throat causing all his children to stop what they were doing and look at him.

"Good afternoon my children. Are you well?" he spoke. Everyone nodded before Meera spoke up.

"Yes, we are all well father." The king smiled warmly at his daughter.

"You must all be wondering why I have brought you here. Well, it has to do with our international relationships. Mr. Brimsleigh please come forward," The king said snapping his fingers, a redheaded servant came forward with a small silver tray and placed it in front of the king. The plate held an envelope with a broken wax seal, showing that it had been opened.

"Do you recognize this seal?" The King asked, picking up the envelope and held it in between his index and middle finger.

"It's the seal of Illéa, father," Shakti said, tilting his head back and crossing his arms.

"Have they finally decided that they want our spices for free?" Arjun said sarcastically, tapping his fingers on the table.

"No, this is an invitation. An invitation to their palace, to partake in the Selection, which was explained to you before you got here." The king said, all the siblings looked at each other in confusion. They were confused, Illéa only had a trade deal with India, so why were they welcoming Indian royalty to their palace?

"It seems that many other nations received invitations. New Asia and the Iranian Empire got one too." The king explained then sighed. "You're all here to decide who should go. I've already spoken to parliament and my personal advisors so please your concerns should go to them." Everyone groaned.

"That means that me, Sita, Ananya, Karna, Shiva, and Agni are out," Meera said crossing her arms. She knew of princess Elisabeth but had not met her."

"So that leaves Arjun, Shakti, and Rama since Ali can't because he is next in line for the Indian throne," Sita said, twirling her pen in her hand. The King looked at his three sons. Arjun grimaced, Shakti looked sheepish and Rama looked away.

"Any volunteers?" he asked. None of them spoke.

"I'd rather not go, I have to say to Illéa and I'm not interested in Illéan women," Arjun said. Sita and Ali glared at their brother.

"I have to oversee the restoration of wildlife in Bengal," Rama said scratching the back of his head, it wasn't a lie. Now that he got rid of poachers, he had to oversee the repopulation of certain animals.

"I have to address Cambodian concerns," Shakti said, looking over to Ananya for help, she looked away. King Krishna sighed

"I say Rama should go!" Karna spoke up, everyone turned to the young prince then to Rama. Rama flashed a crooked smile.

"I mean, Illéa is nice and all but I have my duties. I think Shakti is a better fit than me." Rama tried to argue, turning to his younger brother.

"Karna made a valid argument, Rama. You are the best one out of us all." Ali said, sitting up straight now.

"You're the most attractive out of all of us." Meera said, pulling a stapled pack of paper and tearing off a paper handing it Rama." Rama scanned the paper, it was a concept for the cover of the magazine Meera was reading. Near the bottom was the title "Prince Rama Chakrabarti voted most handsome bachelor." beside the title was a footnote about asking Rama for a photoshoot. Rama felt himself shrinking, he was always forgotten. A prince stuck in limbo who had only left The Kingdom when was little was now shoved into the limelight. To be shipped to another country to try and court a foreign princess.

"You have the lightest accent out of all of us," Sita said with a smile.

"B-but I have no experience in politics; What if I start another war?" Rama said

"We'll have Mrs. Eddowes and Mr. Brimsleigh teach you politics before you leave." The king said clapping his hands.

"So, we all agree that Rama is going?" Ali said, and everyone except Arjun nodded. Arjun sighed.

"Oh, and Rama?" the king said. "You're not taking your pet Tiger with you."

"But-"

"I'm saying this before you ask. It's too dangerous, and he could hurt someone."

Rama crossed his arms and sighed. "Fine. But I'm taking Vasavi with me."

"Your Bengal cat?" Ali said. "No way."

"Yes," the king said. "He can bring his cat. It won't hurt anyone."

"This is a stupid idea. Partaking in a competition to court some random princess." Arjun said standing up and turning to Rama.

"Just watch little brother, you and the princes from Africa are going to be eliminated first. Do you why? Because that Illéan woman is only going to be interested in the pretty, light-skinned Princes." Arjun said his voice dripping with poison.

"Why is she going to bother with you? We all know that she is going to want a beautiful European man, when you wouldn't be worth the-"

"That's enough Arjun!" The King said to him as he slammed a hand on the table. Arjun turned his head to his father.

"Keep that in mind Rama, you are just good P.R. as soon as she can she's going cut you off for some guy from New England or France." Arjun said as he left. Silence filled the room, nobody expected Arjun to burst out that way. The king quietly dismissed everyone, everyone quietly left. Sita walked over to her brother and gently rubbed his shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you, Rammy." She said with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"I-I'll try not,to." Rama said as he handed his reports to an attendant.

"Also, I'm not supposed to tell you but Meera and I are going to be in Illea on holiday!" She whispered. "So we'll be supporting you, don't worry we won't interfere!" Rama looked at her with surprise but nodded and quietly left the hall, heading to his childhood room.

Once inside Rama saw his old governess, Olivia Eddowes, a former theater actress.

"Prince Rama, it's so good to see you again." The woman said as she hugged her former charge.

"Good to see you too Mrs. Eddowes. Can you draw me a bath?" Rama said as he sat on his bed.

"Of course. The attendants told me that I'm to instruct you on proper politics." Mrs. Eddowes said as she brought a stack of towels into the bathroom.

"News travels fast." Rama said simply as he followed his governess.

"I have good hearing," she said with a laugh. "A Selection, huh? Oh, how I'd love to be able to be in one… In another life perhaps." Rama smiled

"I bet you wouldn't even get a date with the prince." Rama joked as he watched the water fill the obscenely large tub.

"I'd probably win!" Mrs. Eddowes retorted as she added several fragrances to the water. Rama chuckled as he stripped and entered the tub. The water was just below scalding, as he liked it. Although he knew Arjun was just spewing nonsense, Rama couldn't help but think of what he said. The words echoed in his head.

" _Why is she going to bother with you? You probably aren't worth the dust on her shoes._ " Rama sighed, it couldn't be true, could it? Would the Princess even like him? Rama shook his head.

"I'll prove him wrong, I'll prove to him that the princess would be interested in me." Rama let out a sigh of relief as Mrs. Eddowes sat nearby with towels. Rama listened with amused interest as Mrs. Eddowes detailed what she'd do in a Selection, with Mr. Brimsleigh as a stand-in for her competition. Rama laughed, he was starting to look forward to the Selection.

* * *

 _ **Here's another One-Shot for you guys** (lowkey trying to hide the fact that I don't have the motivation to write, so I'm posting other people's writing xD) **!**_

 _ **Thanks to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **for this little insider on Rama! :D**_

 _ **All credits and Review go to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **!**_


	11. Jinhai's POV

**Prince Yao Jinhai, Mongolian Empire**

 _[by sevenzeroseven]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _A few hours before his date._**

 _Bzz. Bzzz_.

Jinhai grappled for his phone hidden somewhere under his mountain of sheets and comforters, frowning when he realized there was an unnecessary amount of covers on the bed, and found it wedged between the pillows. Glancing at his watch for the time, he swiped answer and moved the phone beside his ear.

"Morning, Lihau," he said into the phone. It was around noon here in Illéa, but near six in the morning in Mongolia, meaning she'd woken up especially early to call him. They'd been exchanging texts over the past couple of days, but hadn't called until now. He didn't really get homesick, but he did miss his sister.

His sister's impish voice responded instantly, albeit under the guise of elegance, "And good afternoon to you! But, my dear brother, have you already been westernized after only staying there for a few days?" She noted his language of choice when answering the phone.

He blinked, realizing he had been talking in English by accident. His sister's English was far smoother than his and far more natural sounding, since she had a knack for languages. He switched into his native language, " _Time difference or not, you could have simply sent me an email had you wanted to talk_."

She tutted over the phone and ignored his remark. "No, no, stay in English. You need the practice with your accent as thick as it is," she paused thoughtfully before continuing, "Well, I suppose the accent isn't too bad. Some women like them and maybe that's the crown princess' taste as well."

Jinhai chose to ignore the comment regarding his broken English and carefully looked through his luggage instead. "I believe she finds it more aggravating than anything else. She looks particularly frustrated when speaking with someone who can't- _isn't_ ," he corrected himself, "-fluent."

"Hm, that's to be expected. Nonetheless, it's nice to hear your voice again. You've been talking with her, right?" she asked, curious. There was faint crackling on the line.

"Only a little over the past few days," Jinhai answered, stretching a little. "I think she is trying not to pay much attention to me."

"You're a political warhead waiting to explode, little brother. Any person with common sense would avoid you," she laughed and he smiled a little in spite of himself. "Illéan sources are rather biased when looking at it. How distasteful for them to report on her while she was in that state during the Ball."

"She was nervous at the Ball, I think. She just kept downing those Champagnes like they were waters," Jinhai recalled, chuckling a little. " I wanted to talk with her more, but her guard dog was watching me and the others like a hawk."

" _Guard dog_?" Lihau repeated unsurely.

"Her Bodyguard. I didn't catch his name. He was watching her the entire evening very carefully, he even helped her during the _khadag_ greeting." Jinhai frowned, remembering it. "When I had the chance to talk to the New Asian prince, he just appeared beside us like a shadow. We switched into Russian, though I'm not sure if that mattered." He continued before his sister could make assumptions. "Well, he has good intentions, I'm sure."

"Speaking of the New Asian prince, you said you've talked to him. Haruhito, was it?" Lihau asked curiously. "You never specified how that went."

Jinhai ran a hand through his hair, picking up one of the newspapers the other suitors had shown in the parlor that was currently splayed across his desk. Him and Haruhito were plastered on the front, heading inside. "Mm. I find him quite amicable. We didn't talk about anything of importance." He squinted at a different newspaper, that showed the front of Haruhito's sweater. He remembered the caption. How cute.

"Amicable?"

"Is that not the right word? Charming, then?" he frowned, a little confused on why she repeated his choice of words. Jinhai could hear his sister flipping through pages on the other end of the line and then scribbling something down.

"No, that's right, I suppose," she laughed politely. "Only you could be friends with our enemy, little brother. Have you spoken with the Russian representative then… Tsarevich Nikolai?"

"I've spoken no more than two words to him. He and Prince Jericho are always together instead," he laughed a little to himself. He'd been paying more attention to the two ever since Haruhito talked to him and they seemed to truly get along well with each other, although, the result of his occasional staring has gotten him some questioning glances from the duo themselves.

"Ah, well, he'd probably find your Russian pathetic anyways," she laughed mischievously. He repressed the urge to roll his eyes at her teasing. He'd only talked a little to everybody since the only one he knew well was Prince Quinlan. "What are you doing now?"

"Preparing for my date with Princess Eliza," he answered absentmindedly, trying to decide between wearing long sleeves or not.

"Excuse me, did you just say date?" Lihau repeated.

"Ah, yes. My first one is in a few hours," Jinhai looked at the clothes he had packed. He could tell Eliza liked casual and that was relieving to him. "I was thinking coffee."

"You're courting the next queen of Illéa and you plan to simply talk over coffee? How do you plan to make an impression with just that?" his sister complained. The sounds of paper ripping were heard and he sighed. _Not the best idea to tell her that_ , he thought.

Despite his initial confidence in a simple coffee date, he pouted a little at being shot down. "How about baking?"

"Ooh, yes. Your macarons are the most delicious things I've ever tasted," she said in a brief moment of praise. "And it'll drop your 'quiet and mysterious' aura."

"'Quiet and mysterious?'"

"Be cute and playful or as cute and playful as you can when you have dyed hair, piercings, and tattoos. Women like that," she advised and then referred to his shrewd eyes. "And they also like when you remember the details about them, so make sure you're using your eagle eyes properly."

Jinhai laughed, "I know how to go on a date. I will not be lurking in the corner watching her bake. It'll be fun, hopefully."

"Are you nervous?"

Jinhai sighed and thought about that question for a moment. His stomach was twisting into knots, so yes. It had been a while since he'd gone on a date. "A little."

He could feel Lihau smiling through the phone. "Don't worry, all the girls at the palace say you're charming when you're not brooding. You'll do fine."

"How reassuring," he grinned and checked the time again.

Almost as if she had read his mind, she spoke, "Mother and father want me to have an early breakfast with them before we head into today's meetings. I'm afraid I have to go."

"Alright. I'll send over last night's paperwork soon," he said, a little saddened their talk ended so soon.

"I'll text you later," she said breezily and a little businesslike. "Love you."

"Love you too."

 _Click_.

While his talk with his sister made him feel much better, he was almost surprised she wasn't pressuring him more about this. It weighed heavy on the political scales-

 _Bzz. Bzz. Bzz_.

 **LiLi** : I almost forgot. Don't try to be too funny. You're not a funny guy.

 **LiLi** : And remember. The whole world is watching you. Don't mess it up.

 **LiLi** : Good luck! *Heart Emoji*

Ah, there it was.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to** sevenzeroseven **for this insider on Jinhai getting ready for his first date! :D Isn't he the softest of the softest?**_

 _ **All credits and Reviews go to** sevenzeroseven **!**_


	12. Caspian's POV

**Prince Caspian, from New France**

 _[by Sylëa]_

-x-x-x-

 _A/N : Through this little innocent and maybe a little funny One-Shot, the goal is for you to get to know Caspian a little better, his family, his qualities, his flaws, and his interests…_

 ** _This takes place 7 years before the Selection, Amboise Castle, Orléans Province, New France._**

The first thing Caspian noticed when he woke up was the quiet of the place. Not the silence, but the light presence of noises like bird songs, and most importantly, the absence of toing and froing in the halls. This was the first night he spent in the little castle about fifty kilometers from the Royal Palace of Chambord, and he was already feeling alive again.

Ever since his eldest brother, Gaspard, became King, the Palace became a mad place. After the car accident that left King Jacques – his father – weakened, he chose to step down. His mother, Félicia, spent most of her time taking care of her husband, and apart from the doctor, she kicked out everyone who came to see them. Gaspard was working 200% of his time in his new responsibilities, and his wife, Victoria, was pregnant with their first child. And although their marriage was made to secure the New France and New England Alliance, Cas knew their love was true. His other brother, Antoine, was there to help Gaspard since he has always been fascinated with politics – maybe a little too much, but he had to admit that he has always envied his older brother's position. The only person Caspian would have stayed at the Palace for was Annabelle. She's his older sister and confidante and she knew him best. But she was in the Belgium Kingdom at the moment, studying with Crown Prince Nikolas, who seemed to have taken a liking to the French Princess.

Anyhow. Caspian needed a change of scenery, and the Amboise Castle was the best place for him: not only would it help him get away from the whirlwind of the Palace, but it would also take him closer to the place his virtual Master – Leonardo da Vinci – lived. His work had interested Caspian for years, and he was eager to find the archives and to study the plans and drawings the Genius Inventor left behind after passing away.

 **-x-x-x-**

That morning, the sun was high in the sky already, and it was a beautiful spring day. After a frugal breakfast, Cas decided to go look for the Castle caretaker to present himself and make his acquaintance. Not knowing where to find him, he started with the stables where half a dozen horses grazed in their stalls. One of them had just had a roll in the hay, and Cas could not resist taking a brush to clean up the ebony-colored horse.

"You, young man, really know how to have people take care of you!" he said, laughing.

Once the horse was clean and shining, Cas continued on his way to find the caretaker. But he passed by of the doghouse. As soon as the dogs saw him, the animals became excited, jumping around him, and he could almost hear them say "Yay! A new friend!". Their bowls were still half-full, so the caretaker must have come here just minutes ago. He didn't linger there, even though he really wanted to.

"I'll come back tomorrow, I promise!" he said to the dogs while walking away.

The caretaker was neither in the stables or near the dog houses, so Caspian tried to figure out where he could be while walking. That's when he heard some chicken clucking in the distance. Of course! The henhouse! He followed the noise and saw a man who must have been in his fifties circled by twenty hens. He was giving them their morning meal, which explained the noise and bustle.

Caspian headed over to the man. "Good morning, sir!" the man young said with a grin.

The caretaker turned around, surprised, and recognized the Prince immediately. He rubbed his dusty hands on his apron before shaking the Prince extended hand. "Good morning, Your Highness! I didn't know I'd see you this early in the morning. I'm really not presentable," the caretaker said, embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry about that, you're working," Caspian reassured the older man. "Please, call me Caspian. What's your name?"

The older told him his name was Yves, and that he knew the Castles like the back of his hand, since he'd been working there for the past twenty years.

Caspian played with the chickens and Yves explained to him how to catch them without hurting them.

"Put your hands on each side so they can't move their wings," he said. "Here, try with Blanche, she's the most docile!" He showed the Prince a beautiful white hen standing on a ball of hay who seemed to be observing the whole henhouse like she was the Queen or something. Caspian turned to the white hen and gently grabbed her as Yves instructed.

"Oh, my! She's really light!" he said, surprised. "I thought she would be heavier."

Yves laughed. "Even if they don't fly, chickens are still birds," he said. "Blanche is the oldest of the henhouse, she's already ten years old. She hasn't laid an egg in years, but her presence reassures the others."

Caspian and Yves continued their conversation while the older man showed the rest of the Castle to the Prince. From that day on, they've had a really amiable friendship, which would develop into something close to family in the following years.

 **-x-x-x-**

During the following weeks, a little morning routine took place: Cas first visited the horses which he enjoyed brushing and cleaning. Then, he visited the dogs and played with them for a while, and finished his tour with the henhouse to say _Hi_ to Blanche; after that, he went back to his desk to work on his projects.

On one normal morning, Caspian noticed that the old hen seemed tired and weaker than normal. Afraid for her health, he called Yves who arrived quickly. After looking the hen over, Yves looked at Caspian with question marks in his eyes.

"What is it?" Caspian asked, worried

Yves gave him something he was holding in his hand: a white egg with tiny grey spots all over it.

"But- I thought she was done laying eggs?" Caspian said, puzzled.

"Me too," Yves nodded. "I've never seen this before. But this egg is neither edible nor fertilized. We're going to throw it away so Blanche doesn't exhaust herself brooding it."

Caspian thought fast, an idea blooming in his mind; his curiosity won. "Are you sure it's not going to burst out with a chick?"

"Let's say 90% sure," Yves replied. "In theory, if the rooster was really motivated…" he trailed off. "Nah. Forget it. Blanche is way too old for this."

But Cas had only one idea in mind. "Can I take it? I'd like to try something."

"Uh, sure. If it makes you happy. At least it won't go to waste," Yves said, ignoring the impact of his answer.

 **-x-x-x-**

Caspian was all excited when he went back to his office with the egg. He stole all the wadding in the bathroom and made a small nest in a cardboard box. He then found a halogen lamp with enough heat and lit it just above the makeshift nest. He placed the egg in the middle. Proud of himself, he checked on the internet the process to hatch a chicken egg. Because, yes, Caspian had decided to hatch the egg himself.

According to his research, a hen egg took exactly twenty-one days to hatch. During the following three weeks, Cas impatiently observed his egg and wrote down on his tablet every single day the weight progression, proof that something, inside, was growing.

On day twenty-one, Caspian was tense and nervous. But in the evening, still nothing. A little disappointed but not discouraged, he told himself that the little egg still needed some time. The next morning, again, nothing. He started to doubt, but his guts told him to wait a little more.

Finally, on day twenty-three, just as he was weighing the white egg on the scale, the shell cracked on the side. Hope filled him and with a pair of tweezers, he delicately lifted the shell near the crack.

" _Chirp_!"

The golden-yellow head of a small chick came out of the cracked shell, and a flood of emotions filled him: He made it! He made the egg hatch!

A few days later, after showing the chick to a very surprised Yves, who told the Prince it was a female, he decided to call her Cocotte!

 _A/N: I never said he was inspired with names! ^^_

* * *

 **FRENCH TEXT (for those who are interested ^^)**

 **7 ans avant la Sélection, Château d'Amboise, Province d'Orléans, New France**

La première chose que Caspian remarque à son réveil, c'est le calme. Non pas le silence, mais plutôt la présence de bruits paisibles comme le chant des oiseaux, et surtout, l'absence du va-et-vient dans les couloirs. C'est la première nuit qu'il passe dans ce petit château situé à environ 50 km du palais royal de Chambord, et il se sent déjà revivre.

Depuis que son frère ainé, Gaspard, est devenu roi, le palais royal est devenu fou. L'accident de voiture de son père, Jacques, l'a laissé très affaibli et il a préféré abdiquer. Sa mère, Félicia, passe le plus clair de son temps à s'occuper de son mari, et mis à part le médecin, elle renvoie sans ménagement quiconque ose venir les déranger. Gaspard est quant à lui accaparé à 200% par ses nouvelles responsabilités, d'autant plus que sa femme, Victoria, est enceinte de leur premier enfant. Bien que leur mariage ait été arrangé pour lier New France et New England, Cas sait que leur amour est sincère. Et puis son autre grand frère, Antoine, est là pour aider Gaspard, car il a toujours été passionné par la politique - parfois un peu trop d'ailleurs, mais il faut dire qu'il a toujours envié la position de leur ainé. Finalement, la seule personne pour qui Cas serait resté au palais est Annabelle. À la fois grande sœur et confidente, elle est celle qui le connait le mieux. Mais elle poursuit actuellement ses études en Belgique, en compagnie du prince héritier Nikolas, qu'elle ne rend d'ailleurs pas indifférent.

Bref, Caspian avait besoin de changer d'air, et le château d'Amboise était l'endroit idéal pour lui : non seulement cela lui permettait de s'éloigner de toute cette agitation, mais également de se rapprocher du lieu où vécut celui qu'il appelle le maître - Léonard de Vinci - dont les travaux l'intéressent tout particulièrement. Il avait hâte de découvrir les archives et d'étudier les schémas que l'inventeur avait laissé derrière lui.

Ce matin-là, le soleil est déjà haut dans le ciel, et c'est une magnifique journée de printemps qui s'annonce. Après un petit-déjeuner frugal, Cas décide de partir à la recherche du gardien du château, pour se présenter et faire sa connaissance. Ignorant où le trouver, il commence son exploration par les écuries, où se reposent tranquillement une demi-douzaine de chevaux. L'un d'eux venant visiblement de se rouler dans le foin, Cas ne peut résister et récupère une brosse pour nettoyer son poil d'un noir d'ébène.

— Et ben toi, tu sais comment t'y prendre pour qu'on s'occupe de toi ! dit-il en riant.

Une fois le cheval tout propre, Cas reprend son chemin et se dirige vers le chenil. Dès qu'ils le voient, les chiens deviennent tout excités. On pourrait presque les entendre penser "Chouette, un nouvel ami !". Leurs gamelles étant encore à moitié pleines, Cas devine sans peine que le gardien doit être passé depuis peu de temps. Il ne s'attarde donc pas, même si ce n'est pas l'envie qui lui manque.

— Je reviendrai demain, c'est promis ! leur dit-il en s'éloignant.

Le gardien n'était donc ni aux écuries, ni au chenil. Réfléchissant tout en marchant, Cas entend soudain au loin des gloussements de poules. Mais oui, le poulailler ! Il se dirige donc vers l'origine de ces sons, pour finir par apercevoir un homme d'une cinquantaine d'années, entouré d'une vingtaine de poules. Il leur distribue leur repas matinal, ce qui explique toute cette agitation. Caspian s'approche alors de lui pour le saluer.

— Bonjour Monsieur ! annonce le jeune homme d'une voix enjouée.

Le gardien se retourne alors, surpris. Le reconnaissant immédiatement, il s'empresse d'essuyer ses mains poussiéreuses sur son tablier, avant de lui serrer la main qu'il lui tend.

— Bonjour Votre Altesse ! Je ne pensais pas vous voir aussi tôt, je ne suis pas présentable, lui répond le gardien, gêné.

— Oh, ne vous en faites pas pour ça, vous faites votre travail, le rassure-t-il. Et je vous en prie, appelez moi Caspian. Comment vous appelez-vous ?

L'homme lui répond alors s'appeler Yves, et connait le château sur le bout des doigts, étant son gardien depuis un bonne vingtaine d'années.

Cas s'amuse avec les poules, et Yves lui explique comment s'y prendre pour les attraper sans leur faire de mal.

— Vous posez vos mains sur les côtés, de manière à l'empêcher de bouger les ailes, précise-t-il. Tenez, essayez avec Blanche, c'est la plus docile !

Yves lui montre une belle poule blanche perchée sur un ballot de paille, qui semble observer tout le poulailler comme si elle en était la reine. Caspian se tourne alors vers elle pour l'attraper, et applique les instructions du gardien à la lettre.

— Elle est super légère ! s'exclame-t-il, surpris. Je m'attendais à ce qu'elle soit plus lourde.

— Haha, oui ! Même si elles ne volent pas, les poules restent des oiseaux, lui explique Yves. Ensuite, Blanche est aussi la doyenne du poulailler, elle a déjà 10 ans ! Même si elle ne pond plus depuis des années, sa présence rassure les autres.

Caspian et Yves poursuivent leur discussion pendant que ce dernier fait visiter le reste du château au jeune homme. Ils tissent alors le début d'une relation amicale, qui deviendra presque familiale au cours des années à venir.

Durant les semaines suivantes, une petite routine matinale s'est installée : Cas rend d'abord visite aux chevaux, qu'il prend toujours plaisir à panser ; il va ensuite saluer les chiens, avec lesquels il ne peut s'empêcher de jouer ; il termine enfin par le poulailler, pour saluer Blanche ; avant de partir s'installer dans son bureau pour travailler sur ses projets.

Un matin des plus ordinaires, Cas remarque que la vieille poule blanche semble fatiguée et plus fébrile que d'habitude. Craignant pour sa santé, il contacte Yves qui arrive rapidement. Après un rapide examen, le gardien se retourne vers Caspian, stupéfait. Ce dernier, inquiet, l'interroge du regard. Yves lui tend alors quelque chose qu'il tenait dans sa main : un œuf blanc parsemé de petites tâches gris foncé.

— Mais... je pensais qu'elle ne pondait plus ? dit Cas, perplexe.

— C'est aussi ce que je pensais, c'est bien la première fois que je vois une chose pareille, répond Yves. En tout cas, cet œuf ne doit être ni comestible ni fécondé, on va le jeter pour éviter que Blanche ne s'épuise à le couver.

Cas réfléchit à toute vitesse, une idée mûrissant dans son esprit. Sa curiosité finit par l'emporter.

— Vous êtes sûr qu'il ne peut pas donner de poussin ? demande-t-il.

— Disons à 90%, même si en théorie, si le coq était motivé... réfléchit Yves. Non je dis n'importe quoi, Blanche est bien trop vieille pour ça.

Mais quand Cas a une idée en tête...

— Est-ce que je peux le prendre ? demande-t-il. J'aimerais tenter une expérience.

— Et bien oui, si ça peut vous faire plaisir, au moins il aura une utilité, répond Yves, ignorant alors l'impact de sa réponse.

Tout excité, Caspian ramène l'œuf jusque dans le bureau attenant à sa chambre. Il dévalise le stock de coton de la salle de bain, et bricole un nid dans un petit carton. Il récupère ensuite une lampe halogène qui produit suffisamment de chaleur, qu'il allume et place au dessus du nid improvisé. Enfin, il place l'œuf au centre. Fier de lui, il vérifie alors sur Internet la procédure à suivre pour faire éclore un œuf de poule. Parce que oui, Caspian avait décidé de faire éclore cet œuf.

Selon ses recherches, un œuf de poule met très exactement 21 jours pour éclore. Durant donc les trois semaines qui suivent, Cas observe son œuf, non sans une pointe d'impatience. Sur sa tablette, il note chaque jour l'évolution du poids de l'œuf, qui prend peu à peu quelques grammes - preuve selon lui qu'il y a bien une vie qui se développe à l'intérieur.

Le 21ème jour, la tension est à son comble. Il ne peut s'empêcher de revenir voir l'œuf toutes les heures, espérant voir un poussin. Mais pourtant, le soir venu, il ne s'est toujours rien passé. Un peu déçu mais pas découragé, Caspian se dit qu'il a juste encore besoin d'un peu de temps. Mais le lendemain matin, une fois de plus, toujours rien. Il commence à douter, mais son intuition lui dit d'attendre encore un peu.

Finalement, le 23ème jour, alors qu'il était en train de peser l'œuf, il voit que la coquille est fendue sur le côté. Une vague d'espoir s'empare de lui, et à l'aide d'une pince à épiler, il soulève délicatement la coquille à cet endroit.

— Piou !

La tête d'un petit poussin jaune d'or passe par le trou de la coquille. L'émotion l'envahit : il a réussi !

Quelques jours plus tard, après l'avoir montré à un Yves plus qu'étonné et appris qu'il s'agissait d'une petite femelle, il décide de la baptiser... Cocotte. :)

* * *

 _ **Thanks to**_ Sylëa _ **for this really fun and cute One-Shot of Prince Caspian!** (she wrote it in French, and I, Abi, translated it^^)_

 _ **I promise, you'll see more of Caspian in the Main, too! there are just so many guys, it's hard to write them all in one chapter. So please be patient ;)**_

 _ **All credits and reviews go to**_ Sylëa _ **!**_


	13. Tomlin's POV 2

**Lord Tomlin, New England**

 _[by Headless Gummy Bear]_

 _-x-x-x-_

 ** _Between Chapters 7 and 8 of TWIW, during the Ball_**

Prince Jericho felt the pull of jetlag, but nearly everyone was still enjoying the ball. It wasn't his fault that they'd planned for a public event so soon after the Selected's arrivals.

He stepped out for some air, noting how the air felt crisper here. Even though Angeles was near the water, it wasn't anywhere close to the proximity his family's palace had to the beach. In his pocket, he felt the buzz of his cell phone.

 _What great timing._ He thought as he read his grandfather's name on his phone. His contact picture was an awkward selfie they'd taken together when Jericho first taught him how to use a cell phone.

He answered the call in Tagalog, and heard his Grandfather's kind voice on the other end.

"Jericho! How was the ball last night?"

Jericho chuckled. _"Lolo_ , I'm at the ball right now. It's nearly midnight here."

"Oh, yes. Well then how are you enjoying it? How is Princess Elisabeth?"

"I'm all well, _po_. Were you just calling to check in?"

"Yes, and to ask how it went meeting your cousin?"

Jericho stopped short, "Uhm, excuse me?"

"Well, actually now that I think about it, second cousin."

"Who are you talking about, _po_?"

"The English boy!" His grandfather exclaimed through the phone. "He's my sister's grandson, Thomas."

"Tomlin." Jericho corrected him.

"All the same. Have you talked to him yet?" Jericho went through his mind, recalling every interaction he'd had with the Selected. He had a hard time even pairing the face with the name.

"No, but I'll do that now. I'll call again tomorrow. Love you." He put his phone back in his pocket. He could remember, just vaguely, who Tomlin was. It was easier to recognize the names on a piece of paper. It was hard wrapping his mind around the fact that he was a blood relative of a member of the Selected here. He was curious to be reminded of how this English boy looked, and whether or not the Oceanic features would be present.

He went back inside, and scanned the crowded room for members of the Selected. He saw Ruby by the bar, interviewing a couple of the selected in a row. He was pretty sure that who she had just finished speaking with was Tomlin.

Working his way through the dancing people, he came up to him. Unfortunately, he interrupted his conversation with the selected from New France. "Tomlin?"

"Yes?"

Jericho held out a hand to introduce himself, like he'd been taught to when arrived. "I'm Prince Jericho, nice to meet you."

Tomlin looked at Jericho like he was crazy for interrupting his conversation to just introduce himself. "Pleasure is all mine." He gestured to the other selected, "This is Prince Caspian, of New France."

"Hello," Jericho said, slightly self-conscious of his accent. "Tomlin," Jericho started to say. _But how do you tell someone that you're actually related?_ "I came over because we are family." He said in very accented English. Tomlin's face twisted, as he looked the man over, trying to see the familial relation. Jericho noted as well that some features seemed slightly non-white but not enough to classify this man as anything else but English.

"Second cousins?" Jericho offered.

Tomlin did some mental math, before giving up. "How so?"

"My grandfather's sister, is your grandmother."

"Queen Louisa?!" Tomlin exclaimed. He'd always assumed that his grandmother was just a commoner, but it made sense. During that time, New England was still fragile from years of political unrest. A marriage alliance would've calmed things down tremendously. "Bloody hell. I'd never known!" he exclaimed. He leaned forward and gave Jericho a hug that was as 'manly' as could be when finding out you have an entire side of your family you'd never known about.

"Oh! Jericho! I was just talking to Prince Caspian, who is also my cousin… in-law? We met at my cousin Victoria's wedding to King Gaspard." Tomlin explained quickly. "And on top of all that, I know Caspian has many additional cousins here as well. It looks like we all got some family here, isn't that right?" He gave Jericho a hefty pat on the back, before taking him under his arm.

"I am just as surprised, I never knew about it until ten minutes ago. My grandfather asked me about you." Jericho mustered up in accented English. His grin was huge, finding out he had extended family throughout the Selection. Not only did he have a Russian sister-in-law and a New Asian brother-in-law, but he had actual blood relatives.

That meant that he and Tomlin shared great-grandparents. That boggled his mind, and if anything, he was proud that his country had such a profound position to the English, despite the two boys not knowing this before today.

The two boys offered Jericho a drink from the bar, which he refused, but he sat with them anyway. He enjoyed listening to the conversation, that is, when they spoke in English. They swayed back and forth between English and French, but Jericho enjoyed it regardless, finally feeling ready with a number of family members to support him no matter what the Selection would entail, and he knew he'd show them his own support as well.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to**_ Headless Gummy Bear _ **for this second One-shot of Tomlin, ft. Jericho and Caspian! :) YAY!**_

 _ **If you want to check out the HUGE family tree of the Selected, go check on the Pinterest board, on the "Politics, Government, Maps,..." section xD**_

 _ **All credits and reviews go to**_ Headless Gummy Bear _ **!**_

 _ **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**_

 _ **ps: oh, and this was the last One-Shot I had on the waiting list^^ now they'll be posted again as you send them to me!**_


	14. Rama's POV 2

**Prince Rama, Kingdom of India and Bangladesh**

 _[by The Pocketwatch Ripper]_

-x-x-x-

 **The Coronation**

 ** _Two years before the Selection – Bengal State, Kolkata Palace._**

Rama looked at himself in the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. He was dressed in all white, his hair was perfectly combed and styled. He lacked his typical rugged style and looked more like a proper prince. His hands trembled and Rama sucked in a breath.

"You can do this," he told himself and steeled his nerves. Rama kept trying to get more comfortable in the stiff and tight clothing. The white jacket covered him but felt too small despite being specifically tailored for him. The white buttoned shirt underneath felt the same, even with the top button undone, hidden by a tie. He was so focused on the outfit he hadn't heard Mrs. Eddowes come in, followed by his cat, Vasavi.

"Prince Rama... " she said, a smile on her face. Mrs. Eddowes was dressed in an elegant black dress herself. With light makeup and her hair tied into a braid and wrapped around a bun. She looked like a wizened old queen.

"Are you going to a funeral, Mrs. Eddowes. Can I come instead?" Rama quipped. Mrs. Eddowes laughed, before heading to the balcony, hidden by red silk curtains.

"It'll be your funeral if you don't stop with that smart mouth." She said as she peeked out the balcony down into the main hall of the palace. Several guests were being escorted into the throne room where Rama was to be properly crowned as the Duke of Bengal.

"Are you prepared?" Mrs. Eddowes asked, closing the curtains. Rama took a deep breath and sat on a chair in front of a vanity.

"In all honesty... no. Why couldn't I be like Arjun and just have a small ceremony here." Rama said, pressing his hands down into the vanity. His attention drifting away to his time in the Indian palace. Playing with Karna and happily listening to Mrs. Eddowes' stories of performing in placings like New Britain's theaters. Rama didn't realize until later that she was telling the truth and her last name was Stride at the time. The name had a better ring to it, fitting of an actress. Rama only came back to reality when he felt Vasavi rub up against his arm. Rama rubbed her head, the cat purred sweetly and hopped of the vanity.

"I could fill in for you, I mean look at us, we're practically twins," Mrs. Eddowes said standing next to Rama. They looked nothing alike, porcelain skin against tanned skin, straight blonde hair against black hair. Rama chuckled at the absurd idea of his governess posing as him. Walking down a carpet to confused face and quiet murmuring about if this was really the prince that was going to take control of one of the most important states in the Kingdom of India and Bangladesh.

"I can hardly tell us apart," Rama said with a gentle chuckle, his hands had stopped trembling. His back and forth with Mrs. Eddowes always helped. Jokes always calmed down the forgotten prince.

"Karna and Sita are here, they're placing the mantle on your shoulders, a little unorthodox but we know how much you love them." Rama smiled knowing his beloved older sister and younger brother would be placing the cape on him.

"That's reassuring. Still, I can't help but feel that it... THIS is too grandiose, especially for me." Rama told Mrs. Eddowes who was preoccupied with searching for Vasavi. The woman looked up from looking underneath a couch.

"Why do you say that?" She said, sitting down giving up on trying to find the cat. Rama sighed and sat next to her.

"It's because I'm a background character, Olivia. If this was Frankenstein, I'd be Victor's professor. If it was Dante's Inferno I'd be one of the lost souls fighting in the Styx river." Mrs. Eddowes frowned

"If this was a Young Adult novel, you'd be the one that appears for a chapter or two then disappear. You need to stop connecting yourself to literature characters" She said calmly before opening the door.

"The ceremony is about to start, Prince." She said bowing and leading Rama out of the room. Once out into the hall, six heavily armed guards stood close to Rama as they escorted him and Mrs. Eddowes. They were elite guards that protected his father and Crown Prince Ali.

"I shouldn't be telling you this but some royalty from New Asia and Mongolia are here." Mrs. Eddowes said. Rama froze for a moment then continued.

"Father's a madman for inviting two nations who have had tense relations since World War Three."

"Mongolia was here for King Krishna's coronation before the trade deal with New Asia. There shouldn't be a problem although they are on opposite sides of the aisle... Your Father didn't want one to be closer to you than the other.

"Do we know who they are?" Rama asked, tossing his head back. Mrs. Eddowes clicked her tongue for a second.

"From the Mongolian Empire? I believe the Emperor and Empress along with their daughter." That didn't make Rama feel better. The leaders of a nation were there. He should have expected it, they came to Ali's coronation.

"And New Asia?" Mrs. Eddowes pursed her lips.

"That I'm not too certain about. I know that the Prince... Mikasa? Something of that is there as well as the Princess. I believe the second prince is too. Although your father seems more interested in introducing him to Sita." Mrs. Eddowes was cut off by the guard announcing their arrival.

Rama looked at the large, ornate door before him. He steeled himself, once he went through the door, he wasn't going to be a sheltered boy. He was going to be Rama, Prince of India and Duke of Bengal.

The doors opened to the sound of fanfare. Several guards stood at attention, their outfits pristine and bearing the Chakrabarti coat of arms. A long carpet led to the end of the throne room, Where King Krishna stood, a white marble pedestal in front of him with a crown on a velvet pillow. Beside him were Sita and Karna, dressed as regally as he was. People stood on either side of the aisle split down the middle. Some clapping, some cheering, others quietly watching.

A faint fragrance filled the room. Something that Rama recognized as Night Flowering Jasmine, the national flower of Bengal. Rama's eyes drifted to two areas near the front and who occupied those spaces, The Mongolian Emperor and Empress on the left, the princess standing beside them. She looked amazing to Rama.

On the right side were the New Asians, Rama spotted what he assumed was a brother and a sister along with an older woman. Rama then noticed two others beside the older woman. Rama assumed that the brother and sister were the Prince and Princess of Mikasa and the others were perhaps miscellaneous royals? Rama didn't have time to ponder the question as he walked forward, every guard on his side saluting him then kneeling before him

Rama continued to walk, occasionally turning his head and smiling at the people that would soon be under his care. Rama swallowed the lump in his throat as he walked closer to the throne in front of him. He looked forward to trying to look as professional as possible. He eyes swept over the New Asians then the Mongolians before he approached the throne. Both of them looked so much more important, that it made Rama wonder why they were there for his coronation.

Once reaching the throne Rama knelt on one knee before his father. King Krishna picked up the crown and walked forward to Rama and began to speak.

"Prince Rama Chakrabarti, named after an avatar of Vishnu and the perfect embodiment of humankind are you willing to take the Oath?" the King asked.

"I am willing," Rama replied keeping his head down.

"Prince Rama, do you solemnly swear to govern the State of Bengal fairly and justly?"

"I solemnly promise."

"Prince Rama, do you swear to be a leader for the people yet maintain the promise kept by your ancestors when the Kingdom of India and Bangladesh was formed?"

"I solemnly swear."

"You may look up."

Rama raised his head and looked at his father.

"With your promises to the State of Bengal and the Kingdom of India and Bangladesh. I hereby crown you as Rama, Duke of Bengal." Rama smiled.

"I thank you for this honor, King Krishna." Rama then felt a weight on his shoulders. He initially thought it was the responsibilities but as he quickly found out it was the cape placed onto him, by his siblings. They appeared in front of him after putting the heavy cape. Rama slowly stood up and cheers and claps rang out in the hall. A sense of pride and joy filled Rama. He was finally someone, he felt as if he could do great things. Being guided by several servants he went and sat on the throne, until everyone was escorted out. King Krishna smiled at his son but quickly leaving to speak with their guests who had come to the coronation. Rama saw Mrs. Eddowes looking in from a side door and grinned at her. He had done it.

 **-x-x-x-**

 ** _Later_**

Rama tossed his jacket aside after everyone had left. King Krishna had invited the New Asians to dinner in an upscale Bengal restaurant and Prince Ali had invited the Mongolians to another restaurant. Rama had politely declined both dinners with the excuse that he was tired. He paced down the now empty hall and up to the equally empty second floor of the palace, heading to his bedroom with the intention of taking a scalding hot bath and falling asleep in the mass of pillows and sheet that was his bed.

He only stopped when his eye caught a laptop on an end table. Not just any laptop, _his_ laptop. From when he went to the University of New Delhi. Rama thought he had lost it after graduation, suddenly the laptop flickered to life. The screen glowing a pale green shifting to blue then showing static before showing Rama and Arjun standing outside a palace Rama didn't recognize. The architecture wasn't one Rama knew, maybe it was European? Rama paced closer, unable to process that someone had managed to create a fake but realistic scenario. Rama looked in surprise when the image of him on the screen began to talk. Only now did Rama recognize the fancy suit his screen version was wearing.

"I- I think she likes me," Screen-Rama said with a giddy smile on his face. Screen-Arjun's face turned and his frown widened. He chuckled deeply and pressed his fingers to his chest.

"Likes you? Please, Rama, that is ridiculous, demented even!" Screen-Arjun said, rolling his eyes.

"But Brother I-"

"This is why you shouldn't have left Bengal, this whole romance you've imaged only proves that you're too naïve to be here," Screen-Arjun said stepping closer and walking around Screen-Rama in a very fluid motion, suddenly stopping in front of Screen-Rama and holding his face in his hands.

"Why would she like you, c'mon now really. Look at you! You think that she's impressed?!" Screen-Arjun said letting go, voice raised and looking angrier. Then stepping away from Rama and opening his arms.

"She'll say no, come with bro. Brother..." Screen-Rama then yelled no, Screen-Arjun looked surprised then his face turned into a smirk.

"No? Oh, I see how it is then." He said stepping forward.

"Rama knows best, Rama such a mature boy." Screen-Arjun sang as if it was directed to Rama himself. "Such a clever, smart, young duke" he continued

"Rama knows best; fine if you're so sure about it go ahead and give her this!" from his coat pocket Screen-Arjun brought out a sheet of paper and a crown, Rama's crown. Rama couldn't see what was on the paper, but by the look, Screen-Rama didn't like it.

"This is why you're here, don't let her deceive you! Give to her, watch you'll see!" Screen-Arjun sang, Rama's eyes shifted to the paper and his crown.

"I will!" Screen-Rama said in defiance.

"Trust me, brother. That's how fast she'll drop you!" Screen-Arjun sang as he snapped his fingers and grabbing him by the wrists, spinning him and his brother around.

"I won't say I told you so! No, Rama knows best so if she's such a sweetheart go and put her to the test!" Screen-Arjun let go and walked away. Rama looked at the paper and crown, dropping both and reaching his hand out to his brother.

"Brother, wait!" He called out, Screen-Arjun ignored him.

"If she's lying don't come crying, Brother knows best!" Screen-Arjun said.

The laptop then made a whirring sound and shut down. Rama took a step back and looked around to see if there were any hidden cameras. There weren't when he turned back to the laptop, it was gone. There was nothing on the end table. Rama blinked and rubbed his head, trying to process what he just witnessed.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **for this second One-shot of Rama! poor Prince and his awful brother Arjun!**_

 _ **All credits and reviews to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **!**_

-x-x-x-

 _ **PS: Oh, and if you want to read a Christmas Hogwarts One-Shot of some TWIW characters written by**_ Doctor Kay _ **, please go read "The Most Magical Time of the Year" posted on our Collab Account,**_ thediscordalliance _ **!**_


	15. Latreall's POV

**Prince Latreall, Kingdom of Spain**

 _[by tyozzie123]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _Takes place a Few Days After Chapter 21_**

 ** _Prince Latreall, 12:00 am, Hallway_**

Latreall quietly stepped out of his room, arms full of supplies. Chips, soda, pillow, blankets, and a physics book. He walked quickly, not wanting to be caught by any palace staff on his journey. He made his way to Jinhai's room, and knocked quietly on the door.

The door opened to reveal Jinhai, who stepped aside, and allowed Latreall into the room. "Hey, I brought chips, and soda."

"Good, good, set it over there." Jinhai said, pointing to a pile of food stuffs.

Latreall obliged, and noticed there were already some other boys in the room, including Caspian, Xander, Hans, and Quin. Not long after Latreall set up his own little area of pillows and blankets, a knock sounded at the door.

Jinhai answered it, and in came Rama. He was grinning, and carried in his arms an old game system.

"Guess who brought entertainment?" Rama asked, moving over to Jinhai's television.

The boys in the room whooped, and waited for the device to be plugged in. When he was done, Rama invited a few boys to play. Latreall decided to wait a turn, instead focusing on the food that was starting to pile up.

The boys were starting to play Mario Kart, and Latreall smiled as he remembered the last time he played with some of the boys. Eliza had played with them, and it had been entertaining watching the princess try to drive the mini cars.

Latreall quite liked the princess, but he wasn't sure if it was love, more like admiration at this point. Latreall was pulled from his thoughts when another knock sounded from the door.

Jinhai stood, and opened it, peeking outside before opening it wide for Jericho and Niko. Latreall smiled at Jericho, and nodded to Niko, already wondering how this night was going to go down with Niko here.

Niko wasn't holding anything except a pillow and a blanket, and Jericho was carrying an arm full of food. Jericho was grinning, and greeted everyone cheerfully. Latreall directed Jericho to the food pile.

Niko set up his little pillow area in a corner, and Jericho followed him, deciding to be neighbors for the night. Jericho and Niko seemed quite close, and Latreall had to wonder if something was going on between them.

"Latreall! Hey, you bring these?" Tom asked, indicating the sodas.

"Oh, yeah, I figured we'd need drinks, not just food." Latreall said.

Hans grinned, "Why don't you just have some of this?" Hans asked, holding up a bottle of wine.

Some of the boys cheered, and raced for the bottle. Someone had brought plastic cups, and the wine was filling them quickly, the boys-not caring about wine glass etiquette- drank away.

To Latreall's surprise, Niko approached him, "Hey, Latreall, could I have one of those sodas?"

Latreall blinked, then nodded, "Uh, yeah, well, they're for everyone. So feel free."

Niko nodded his thanks, taking a soda, and bringing it back to his and Jericho's corner. Latreall watched curiously as Jericho took the soda from Niko, and Niko picked up his own glass of wine.

Why hadn't Jericho just asked? It wasn't like Latreall would judge him for not wanting to drink. Latreall turned his attention to the boys playing video games, and saw Caspian was in first, with Quin not far behind.

There was another knock on the door, and Jinhai stood to answer. He eagerly stepped aside when Haruhito stepped inside, holding his cat Adern. The two talked excitedly, and then joined the group.

Everyone appeared to be here, so Latreall stood to gain their attention. "Okay everyone! Listen up. We're all here, so I now officially call this meeting to disorder. We're here to have a good time, and that's what we'll do."

There were cheers from the boys, "So, rules." A series of boo's followed that statement, but Latreall shrugged it off. "First, no means no, respect each other, okay? Second, first one to fall asleep does so at their own risk. Third, have fun!"

The boys cheered again, and returned to their original occupations. Latreall decided to join in on the crowd around the boys playing video games, calling dibs on the next game. He took consistent sips from his wine cup.

Latreall felt the warm tingle settle in his stomach, and realized he missed the parties at college, at least they had stronger alcohol, like vodka and whiskey, however, Latreall wouldn't complain about any alcohol at this point. The game finished, and Latreall was up. He was playing with Caspian, Hans, and Tom.

Latreall began the race, and to his relief, some of the other boys had already been drinking, so he wasn't the only one who was playing under the influence. They played four races, and Latreall won two of them, which he considered pretty good for the circumstances.

He left the game, giving someone else a chance, and finished the rest of his wine. He grimaced, and saw another bottle had been opened, so he went for a refill. He then saw Haruhito, and Adern.

Latreall gasped, and went to Haruhito, "Can I pet your cat?" Latreall asked, trying to explain what he was saying with hand gestures.

Haruhito smiled, and handed Adern to Latreall. Latreall gasped in delight. The cat was softer than he had originally thought it would be. Latreall had never had a pet, but he certainly would like one. Note to self, buy a pet when you go home.

Latreall sat on the floor with Adern for probably 20 minutes, until Adern walked away, back to Haruhito. Latreall sighed, and took yet another drink from his wine cup. It was almost half gone again, and Latreall had to wonder how many it would take for him to be drunk.

Latreall looked around, and saw multiple boys just talking. He went over to the group, and sat down, listening.

"So, what do you guys think would be some good date ideas for Eliza?" Quin asked, glancing around the group.

The group considered, and Rama replied, "Well, she seems to like being outside, no matter how much she might deny it. She also loves creative dates, something original."

"Like what?" Quin pushed. Latreall had to admit this would be helpful for him too, so he listened patiently.

"Well, maybe something adventurous? Safe, obviously, but still fun." Rama replied.

"I wonder if there's a good theme park around here?" Quin considered aloud.

"It might be too big for safety reasons, but that's a good start." Rama said, nodding encouragingly.

"Then maybe a trampoline park?" Latreall offered, "It would be fun."

The boys looked at him, then thought carefully. "I mean, if you reserve it maybe?" Rama replied, nodding thoughtfully.

"That's actually a really good idea, Latreall. You should look into it." Quin said.

"Thanks, maybe I will." Latreall replied, taking another sip of his wine. "Eliza loves food too, so maybe just a simple, relaxed, dinner date would be appreciated."

"Thanks, I'm sure she could use some calm right about now." Quin replied, thinking about the current state of things.

Latreall thought about it too, it wasn't good. Millie was using blackmail, and secrets to manipulate Eliza and the Selection. Latreall scowled just thinking about it. He hadn't thought much of Millie at first, but the more he observed, the more he didn't trust her. He'd tried to warn Eliza, but she hadn't listened. Latreall understood what it was like to be the younger sibling, not that he'd want his brother's responsibility. But he certainly understood what it was like to want attention and the need to work for what you want.

Latreall checked the time, and was surprised to find it was almost 3 am. He smirked, the last time he'd stayed up this late had been college. Stupid physics final, he thought, still shuddering at the thought of his senior year final.

Some of the boys appeared to be getting sleepy, but Latreall couldn't tell if it was from the time, or from the wine. Some of the boys were arguing, some were talking, and some were even singing, and Latreall had to laugh at the group of boys before him.

Yes, he hadn't necessarily wanted to come to the Selection, but he was glad he had. He had made new friends, and he certainly enjoyed their company. Some of the boys were already wild after a few glasses, while other boys were holding their drinks quite well. Jericho appeared to be on his second soda already, and Latreall smiled as he saw Niko and Jericho having a seemingly sincere conversation.

Latreall looked away, not wanting to be invasive on a nice moment. He heard some of the boys talking about skinny dipping, but one of them pointed out there was nowhere to go beside the bathtub where they wouldn't get caught, so they dismissed the idea.

Latreall glanced towards Jinhai, who had somehow gotten his hands on a small carton of milk, and was now drinking out of that. Latreall wondered how old the milk was, and could only hope it was cold, and not room temperature. Haruhito was watching Jinhai amazed, and Latreall couldn't blame him.

Caspian, Tom and Hans had pulled a bottle of whiskey and shot glasses out of a bag. Latreall's brows rose as he watched them set up the shots. Hans was grinning, and Tom and Caspian seemed to be concentrating, mentally preparing themselves for the shot competition.

Latreall wondered who had brought the whiskey, no doubt Hans again. But where had he gotten it? Oh well, it's a party of sorts, don't question it.

Latreall watched the first three rounds of shots, and saw Hans moving at a much faster speed than the others. Latreall already knew who would take the most shots at this rate, so he turned his attention to the boy next to him.

Rama.

Latreall smiled at Rama, "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah," Rama said, he continued talking, but Latreall got lost after a few words, because Rama kept switching between English, Spanish, and a few other languages Latreall didn't know. Latreall chuckled, hoping Rama was saying good things.

"Good, good, well, I'm gonna go-" Latreall glanced around, "and talk to Jericho and Niko."

"Bye." Rama said, taking another sip from his cup. Latreall briefly wondered if he should stop him, before moving on to Jericho and Niko.

"Hello all." Latreall said, taking a seat beside Jericho, across from Niko.

Niko glared at Latreall, but greeted him softly as Jericho grinned and said 'hi'.

"This is great, isn't it?" Jericho asked, glancing to Niko.

"If you like wild parties." Niko muttered.

"Oh, it's not that wild." Latreall said, as someone came out of the bathroom, running around the room unrolling a toilet paper roll, covering everyone in it. It was a new roll at least, Latreall thought, relieved.

Niko raised a brow as his point was proved, and Latreall sighed, "But it's at least fun."

Niko grimaced, but took another sip, choosing not to comment on the state of things. Some of the boys were starting to get tired, while others were still hitting the drinks and snacks. Boys were even yelling at each other for cheating at Mario Kart, threatening war against each other's country.

Latreall glanced around, and noticed Haruhito asleep on the floor. Latreall gasped, "Guys! Guys! We have our first sleeper!"

The boys stopped, and looked around for their victim. The boys spotted Haruhito, and frantically looked around for markers. They found a package, and began to draw on Haruhito's face. Latreall chuckled, and decided to join.

Latreall grabbed a marker, and wrote on Haruhito's face, _Viva la vida_. He snickered, and handed the marker off.

Latreall went to the snacks again, and discovered marshmallows, quickly scarfing a few down. Latreall yawned, and checked the time. How has an hour passed already? He wondered, chuckling.

He looked around at the boys, and saw that now that the first person asleep had already been attacked, some deemed it safe to go to sleep. Latreall decided he might as well stay awake, and head back to his own room in an hour or so.

He glanced to some of the boys, who were talking and laughing, finishing off the last wine bottle. Latreall walked over, and held out his hand, " _La botella_."

Hans handed the bottle of wine over, and Latreall took a swig, and then passed it on. Latreall sighed, looking at all of his friends. He smiled fondly, and talked loud enough for everyone awake to hear.

"Guys!" He called, "I just- I just wanna let you know. You guys are amazing, I love all you guys, and this was a great night." He said, then glanced towards Niko, "Including you, Nikolai, however fuckin' annoying you can be."

Niko narrowed his eyes, but Latreall saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"And guys, we should probably-um, um, uh- get, uh- get back to our rooms." Latreall stuttered, his words slurring as more alcohol took its effect. "You know, before the- the staff catches us."

"Yeah, I do not want the staff to know you all were here, although the evidence will be hard to hide." Jinhai said, frowning at the state of his bedroom.

Murmuring in agreement, each boy- who wasn't already asleep- stood, and collected what they could to hide in their own rooms. Soon the room was in better shape, although not like it was before the party. Boys left one at a time, so as not to draw too much suspicion should they be caught.

"Don't-don't tell the staff or the royals." Latreall said, and everyone quickly agreed, laughing.

"Good night, everyone." Jinhai said, as the last few boys who could, left.

Latreall made his way to his room, his eyes growing heavy. He was certainly going to regret all the drinking tomorrow morning, but it had been a legendary night, and he was glad he'd decided to attend.

Latreall entered his room, dropped to the ground, hiding his stash under his bed, and changed out of his clothes- with no small amount of stumbling and cursing- before climbing into bed, and letting sleep envelop him.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to**_ tyozzie123 _ **for this fun One-Shot!**_

 _ **There will be a couple of chapters in the Main Story before this happens and is mentioned (headaches and all haha).**_

 _ **All reviews and credits go to**_ tyozzie123! _ **:D**_


	16. Rama's POV 3

**Prince Rama, Kingdom of India and Bangladesh**

 _[by The Pocketwatch Ripper]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _During Chapter 19_**

Sita grinned as she stretched, breathing in the fresh air of the forest. Meera behind her, checking her hair in her compact mirror.

"Afraid the birds might take pictures of you?" Sita said as she tied her hair in a ponytail.

"Incredibly so, dear sister," Meera said teasingly as she put away the mirror. Both sisters had decided to take a trip to the Sequoia national park after spending so much time in the city.

"I'll have to take plenty of pictures," Sita said, taking her camera out of her pack and flipping through the pictures she had already taken. Meera sipping wine at a bar, both sisters posing with Mariachi members and many pictures of the girls in front of Angeles landmarks.

"For Rama? Don't you think he'd go here?" Meera said turning to the large trees.

"I mean, he loves nature and all but I doubt he would be able to freely go anywhere without a bunch of security detail," Sita replied, thinking of her beloved baby brother. He was probably trying to get the attention of the princess and failing. She hoped he was doing well.

"At least his projects in Bengal are working well. The only gripe people have is that he isn't there helping the people build their homes. But enough worrying about him, we're here to have fun!" Meera grinned and turned heading towards the forest.

"Don't get lost" Sita called from behind as she hurried after her sister, recalling how she got lost when they went to Yosemite.

"Let that go!" Meera snapped as she hurried ahead.

"I just don't wanna be the one that tells father that his eldest daughter got lost in the woods and got eaten by bears." Her sister said, dreading what her father might do if she had to come back and tell him that his precious daughter was dead.

The two sisters hiked for a while in silence. Meera looked at her sister, taking random pictures then suddenly breaking the silence.

"So why did you decide to come with me, Sita?" Sita stopped and continued looking at her sister.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she took a picture of a few birds perched on a tree.

"Aside from political trips and managing your state, you don't take vacations," Meera asked.

"I was worried about Rama," Sita replied shrugging, Meera turned her nose.

"That's bull and you know it." She replied crossing her arms. As much as a doting sister Sita was, she was well aware that Rama could take care of himself.

"Ok, I needed a vacation after working so diligently at the University, besides I haven't traveled in quite a while." Sita smiled satisfied with her answer.

"Is that so? Then why didn't you go to New Asia? Or to another state?" Meera said, tapping her chin.

"I don't need to answer to you, Meera. Believe what you want." Sita said rushing forward.

"I think I know the answer," Meera said, hurrying to catch up to Sita who was about to start jogging away.

"Father was going to send you on a political trip, wasn't he?" Meera said. Sita stopped and looked back.

"How did you-" Meera cut her off

"Not just any trip one to New Asia, one to meet that New Asian prince." Sita stood still, how did her sister know all of this.

"You don't want to meet him, do you?" Meera said her voice softening. Sita hung her head and turned to her sister.

"I... I just don't want my life being dictated by father, I want to continue my teachings. I want to control my own destiny. That is why I allowed Arjun to have my place in the line of succession. The only reason it's me and not you are because you are a child of Queen Parvati-" Sita said looking down.

"-and children of the previous queen can only marry those within the country. I know Sita. A dumb rule, let's head back." Meera said turning around with Sita by her side.

"I don't even know if I'll like him, what if he some terrible person," Sita said, taking a swig of her half-empty bottle of water.

"Or worse: ugly!" Meera joked, Sita laughed and playfully pushed Meera.

"Why couldn't Ananya be a little older," Sita said shaking her head.

"Because the powers that be don't like you. Anyways maybe you should give him a sho-" Meera was stopped by Sita, grabbing her by the back of her blouse.

"Meera, look over there," Sita said pulling her sister behind a tree. Meera raised an eyebrow and looked.

"What is I- OH MY GOD IS THAT-" She was shushed by her sister. Sita nodded

"Rama! He's with that girl, the princess!" Sita said turning to Meera.

"Should we go over?" Meera asked peeking out from behind the tree to see Rama hugging the tree.

"No! We shouldn't" Sita said sharply

"Wouldn't it be suspicious for Prince Rama Chakrabarti's sister to just _appear_ on his date with her? We could ruin his chances." Meera nodded in agreement.

"You're right, still I can't believe it our little Rama is growing up." Meera pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. She saw Rama and the princess coming their way and both hid behind the massive tree, making sure they weren't spotted.

"My sister Meera is daughter to the last queen, Parvati. She's editor in chief for a magazine, we don't talk all that much," Rama was saying to the Princess.

"Why? Is she distant?" Eliza replied.

"Not so much as she is busy all the time. Then there is Sita, she is strong and my closest sister. She's a professor at the University of New Delhi..." The two sisters heard the voices drifting and saw Rama and Eliza continue their walk.

"Damn I wanted to hear the rest of that conversation!" Meera said.

"Calm down, there, Nosy Nina. We shouldn't interrupt the boy, although... that doesn't mean we can't keep track of what's going on and who the competition is." Sita said as she walked back towards the entrance.

"What are you going to do?" Meera asked.

"Nothing really, just gonna actually keep up with the selection," Sita said.

"I mean Arjun is keeping up with it," she continued imagining her younger brother watching The Report in pajamas with a bowl of popcorn.

"Why? Why of ALL people is Arjun keeping up with this?"

"So, he can justify his racism, xenophobia, you know. That kinda stuff." Sita said.

"I wonder what his reaction is gonna be when he finds out Rama went out on a date," Meera said looking back at the forest to see a young family.

"Probably say that he was a trial, failed miserably and say he will get sent home in a week. His usual nonsense." Sita said as she entered the rented car. Meera nodded as she saw Rama take a picture of the princess and young girls. For a moment she thought that Rama had looked at her.

* * *

 _ **Thanks to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **for this third (!) One-shot of Rama (and his sisters^^)**_

 _ **I think they should definitely crash the Selection and say hi to Eliza, don't you think? add some girls into this group of guys! lol**_

 _ **All Credits and Reviews go to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **! :D**_


	17. Jinhai's POV 2

**TRIGGER WARNING: DRUG ABUSE, SELF-HARM, PARENTAL NEGLECT, SUICIDE, CUTTING**

 **Prince Yao Jinhai of the Mongolian Empire**

Tales of "I'm sorry" and "I'm Fine"

 _[By Millyna]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _One month into the Selection. Current week_** _(Likely visit, Illéa Weekly Interviews, ...)_

Jinhai wasn't entirely sure what to say. He was worried. Very worried.

It was evening, they had just finished another dinner with everyone which was probably still much more comfortable for the royals among them than the commoners like Raph since all of them had, by now, adjusted to Illéan protocol and etiquette. He expected to have a quiet evening, since most of them were either tired or bored from Henri's history lesson today, but he didn't expect _this_.

Jinhai's first thought was "something very, very bad happened" when he saw the well-known ginger cat, wait in front of his door. Adern did leave Haruhito, but only when they were in their lessons and Adern started to get bored by the humans talking.

"Meow!" The cat wanted something.

"Uh…" Jinhai knelt down. "What do you want?" he asked confused.

"Meow!" Adern meowed in the cat equivalent of screaming.

What Jinhai didn't know was that he was Adern's last assert. _Stupid human doesn't get the easiest commands,_ the cat thought. The Sister Human wasn't anywhere near, and His Human seemed to like this particular specimen most.

"Kitty, I don't speak meow…" Jinhai muttered, but looked around himself. What in the world did the cat want from him? Food? Who even fed Adern, when the cat literally sat next to Haruhito at breakfast? "Where's Haruhito? Maybe he knows what you want…"

Jinhai opened the door to his room again, and peaked outside. The New Asian prince was nowhere near, so he stepped back into the corridor and turned to one of the guards.

"Have you seen Prince Haruhito?" Jinhai asked.

"No, sir," the guard replied in a professional manner. "And… uh, I'm not sure if I'm meant to tell you more details considering your countries… difficulties."

Jinhai suppressed a sigh. That made sense, but it didn't help him. "Well, his cat is in my room, and I think Adern wants something."

"Oh…" The guard paused. "I believe His Imperial Highness has not left his room, but I am not sure, sir."

Jinhai nodded and turned back to Adern. "Alright, kitty, we're going to get your human."

Adern was faster by his side than he expected, and they headed towards the opposite ends of the corridor, where the New Asian prince's room was. As Jinhai walked, he wondered why Haruhito hadn't been at dinner. He hadn't eaten lunch either, but that was maybe because he had something else to do—or so Jinhai had presumed. Maybe he had been with Jericho and Nikolai, or writing another one of these… peculiar stories.

At his destination, he was stopped by another guard. "Prince Haruhito has asked for no visitors, sir."

"I'm just here to give him his cat back," Jinhai replied calmly.

The guard glanced at Adern, who tried to push open the locked door, and nodded understanding. Pretty much everyone had come to understand that Haruhito loved his cat more than his life.

Jinhai would soon understand that that wasn't very difficult.

Even though the suitors' rooms looked pretty similar, Jinhai didn't recognize the common outline of the room at all—it was full of notes, notebooks, an old Pikachu plushie, clothes and two pillows.

Never ever, even when he had been traveling and been among commoners, he had seen such a chaotic room. The curtains were drawn too. When had this happened? Why wasn't the palace staff cleaning this up? Adern rushed past, but Jinhai didn't pay him attention—even when he started meowing. _Stupid human—you aren't here for some fake furs! You're here to help my Human!_

Jinhai picked up one of the shirts, a white T-shirt with the caption "Mother of Cats" and folded it. Terrible wrinkles, he noted, but wondered more about why Haruhito wasn't wearing t-shirts if he had some—it was summer, and the only thing he was wearing was his hoodies!

He picked up another shirt, and noticed something shiny beneath it. Haruhito's laptop, still turned on. Carefully and probably a bit too curious, he opened it. It was running out of energy, but the wallpaper (a collage of Master Adern, prominently featuring him with that book series Lihau was obsessed with). Wasn't Haruhito's laptop always running? He never saw him charging it…

In the background, Adern meowed, complaining.

Jinhai stopped folding clothes, and looked up. The cat was sitting in front of the door that probably lead to Haruhito's bedroom, if the layout of the room was the same as his own. But next to the door, he found something that drew his attention much more than the ginger cat.

Three containers, one of them spilled, with white pills. Worried, Jinhai stepped closer, but the writing on the bottles was in Japanese. He didn't understand a word, except for the numbers written on it. Doses, he presumed. Next to them were some cat treats, opened, alongside an empty packet. Jinhai touched his hair. Hopefully, these meds weren't drugs… But Haruhito didn't seem to be the type to do drugs.

"What's this…?" he muttered.

"MEOW!" Adern attacked his leg, causing Jinhai to step back. "Meow! Meow!"

Jinhai remembered researching the major players in the Selection, including the New Asian prince. Too bad that New Asia was very quiet about the private life of their royalty. He had barely found anything, except a vague remark that he had been home-schooled during high school, unlike his siblings.

"Please tell me that this isn't related…" he muttered, and took some of the cat treats, handling them to Adern. He doubted that the cat wanted that but…

"Meow!" Adern ignored the treats—was that even normal? Was Adern broken?

The cat pointed towards the door, and Jinhai nodded. Evidently, something was inside that the cat wanted him to pay attention to. He knocked, but didn't expect a response.

He got one.

"No." Haruhito's voice was unusually harsh. "Leave, now."

"Uh, I think your cat wants something?" Jinhai, taken back by the abnormal harshness, pointed out.

"My country has nukes, and my dad has the codes. Don't dare me," Haruhito called back irritated.

"… What?" Since when did Haruhito care about war? "Haruhito, your cat is here, and—"

" _Just leave_!" Haruhito screamed.

Jinhai jerked back. When was the last time he had heard Haruhito screaming at anyone, but he couldn't remember.

"Uh, I'm just letting your cat in then…?" Jinhai touched his hair. He didn't want to leave Haruhito alone—he didn't seem alright enough to be left alone (he definitely didn't sound sick or anything…) but then again…

Had he any right to go and talk to him? They were princes of enemy nations!

Against what he wanted and cared for, Jinhai opened the door a bit, and Adern darted inside. What had the cat wanted from him? Why bring him if he probably could have made the guard open the door for him? What about the maids and the chaotic state of Haruhito's room? Jinhai closed the door, not hearing the cat's meowing that subsided the moment Haruhito groaned at the cat.

On the way outside, Jinhai couldn't help but clean up a bit more. Just folding the t-shirts and sweaters neatly, placing them onto the table. Whatever had happened, the maids working didn't need to have such a big problem.

He didn't notice the blood stain on the sweater Haruhito wore this morning.

/ / /

Next morning, Jinhai gave himself the mission to figure out what in the world was going on, and what was up with the pills—although he wanted to make sure not to invade Haruhito's privacy.

Haruhito didn't appear for breakfast.

Haruhito didn't appear for Henri's lessons either.

Going by what the royal planner was able to tell them, he was feeling unwell and worried that others might catch what he had. He was staying away for their safety, and going by how calm Henri was about that, he seemed to believe it.

They continued with Illéan history, but Jinhai didn't focus. He trailed off, trying to puzzle together what exactly had happened. He couldn't put things together—maybe, hopefully, even—the pills were just vitamin supplements or something. They looked official enough, and the writing was chaotic enough to be a doctor's writing.

What worried him more was Adern definitely had wanted something from _him_ , but he had been to shocked by the room and the pills to think. Stupid. Stupid Jinhai. _Something_ was up. Jinhai gave himself the mission to check on Haruhito, if he didn't appear for lunch. Following the pattern, the New Asian prince did not.

When Jinhai went to check on him, the guard politely but firmly asked him to leave. This time, Jinhai had no Adern as an excuse to get in, and had to give in. For all the guard knew, maybe _he_ had poisoned Haruhito.

Defeated, Haruhito headed back to the Men's Parlor. Should he ask the others whenever they knew something? Most of them seemed pretty cheerful and laid back (with an exception of Hans and Niko, maybe, but Niko was talking to Jericho again—the memory at what Haruhito had written made Jinhai blush), so they probably didn't know anything of value.

Haruhito stayed in his room for the rest of the week. On Saturday, Henri had pointed out that Haruhito had spoken to a doctor and both concluded that he probably just needed to rest. Something made Jinhai wonder if that was really the case—especially when said doctor turned out to be New Asian and barely even able to speak broken English.

"He might just be a doctor _from_ New Asia…" Jinhai thought when he watched the man leave the palace through the main entrance. The car he entered was a diplomat's car, with the New Asian flag on it. He definitely came from Haruhito's home country.

"But why would they need that?" he wondered. The only plausible reason he could come up with was that Haruhito just liked to have his own doctor—he hadn't been very keen on the hospital visit either—so maybe something related to that?

"Meow." Jinhai turned around to see an impatient, glaring and probably annoyed cat sitting at the top of the stairs. Adern really wanted something from him.

"Do you want me to go and see Haruhito?" Jinhai wondered, and touched his hair again. What a nasty habit, but he couldn't help but feel like he had terribly nervous butterflies in his stomach. Something was wrong, and he couldn't help but think that he wasn't really the one to solve the situation… Maybe he should tell someone? Henri? Eliza? _Anyone_?

"Meow!" Adern turned around and started walking. So, he definitely wanted him to come. This time, Jinhai didn't wait but followed the cat immediately, back to the prince's room. The guards glanced at him irritated, but Jinhai just politely gave them a smile and nodded to the cat.

"I'm returning the cat, again," he replied.

Once again, they allowed him in.

Haruhito's room hadn't changed a bit. The t-shirts he had folded were still on the couch table, the curtains were still drawn and by now, the laptop had run out of power. The whole room looked like no one had touched it. Where was Haruhito's valet, or anyone in charge of cleaning up? Had he dismissed them all because of that sickness?

Jinhai sniffed. The room smelled like no one had cleaned up anything. The cat treats were still on the ground too, making him cringe. He'd clean up after figuring out what Adern wanted. Haruhito couldn't be dead—he had seen a doctor maybe half an hour ago. He had to be alright—maybe the pills were for some form of chronic illness, like Jericho with his heart condition? Something that was just a really big misunderstanding, and Haruhito had just caught a bad cold?

None of these thoughts could calm Jinhai's rapidly beating heart. Slowly, he stepped over the cat treats and pushed the door handle down.

Just like the sitting room, Haruhito's bedroom was completely dark. Adern's eyes reflected the light that came in from the sitting room, but there was just enough light inside to see the shape of a body on the bed.

Unmoving.

Alarmed, Jinhai stepped through the door and forward. Haruhito was breathing. Good. Laying on the bed, not moving, but breathing. Probably sleeping, just without a blanket. He looked to the cat sitting nearby his arm who now seemed to be more interested in Haruhito than the confused Jinhai.

Jinhai opened his mouth to speak up.

He didn't though.

At the sight Haruhito's arm, he froze. Some were redder, some whiter, but the whole of his lower arm was covered in smaller and bigger scars. That, and blood. And wounds. And a knife directly next to his hand.

"That's why you always wear sweaters," Jinhai muttered shocked.

As if on cue (probably because Jinhai only now spoke), Haruhito opened his eyes, moving from his cat (now visibly relieved—as far as cats could be) to the Mongolian prince.

"What the—" Haruhito broke off, and followed Jinhai's unmoved gaze. The instant he realized what he was looking at, he pulled his arm, including the bloody and fresh wound, and the rest of himself back.

"Oh, I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't want to—" Jinhai broke off.

Haruhito looked _horrified_. Evidently not at the sight of his messed up arms? (Jinhai hadn't seen the other, and didn't dare to) but at his. He didn't move, or say something.

"Oh my gosh… Are you alright?" Jinhai's first thought wasn't clear at all.

" _Jinhai, leave_." The New Asian was strangely composed. It felt wrong.

"I can't—I can't leave you like this!" Jinhai panicked.

"There's a reason why I made the doctor come up with an excuse."

"But… I couldn't leave you… You need medical attention!"

Haruhito turned even whiter. He didn't respond, but the way he looked was exactly the same as at the pool party when he had a heat stroke.

Or was it even a heat stroke?

"… Haruhito?"

Wordlessly, his right arm moved towards the ginger cat who, in return, also moved to him. The arm wasn't as badly hurt, Jinhai realized. Haruhito, apparently, was right-handed. Trembling, Haruhito began to pet the ginger cat, looking down as if he was trying to avoid something.

"Are you alright?" Jinhai worried about him. "Please—is there anything I can do?"

This time, Haruhito didn't tell him to leave. Rather than that, he seemed far too fixated on his breathing. It hadn't been a heat stroke or anything; it had been an anxiety attack, Jinhai realized. Nothing he knew about too much, but it made _some_ sense.

But what in the world should he do now, to help? Haruhito was having another one!

"Okay… Uh… Can I come closer?" He blushed. He was literally as close as he could be without getting onto the bed! "Wait, no… That's wrong…"

Haruhito would probably flip out if he told him to calm down. But what could he do? From the looks of it, Haruhito was trouble breathing… Which probably was part of the anxiety attack.

"Alright… Breathing trouble is probably part of the attack. It's not real, you know and… I mean, I don't know… You don't need to stay like this. It's…" Jinhai shook his head. He was getting off track.

Haruhito leaned back, pushing his head back as well. He caught his breath, but didn't move any further. Was he alright or still in a panic attack? Had it even started? Gosh, he had no idea… Adern slowly climbed up to Haruhito's thin torso—the t-shirt he was wearing had the caption "No Cats No Life" which made Jinhai uncomfortable.

" _Daijoubu da_ ," Haruhito muttered in Japanese.

"What?" Jinhai asked confused. "What did you say?"

"I'm fine," Haruhito translated.

"No, you're not."

"I've been worse," he corrected, and looked to the Mongolian prince with a strangely empty expression. "What are you doing here?"

"Adern made me come here."

With void eyes, he looked to his cat who was trying to find a comfortable spot on his body. Haruhito seemed to sigh quietly. _Are you alright, Human? I brought the Human you like_ , Adern thought.

"That sounds like something he'd do…" Haruhito muttered. "But yeah, I'm alright. You can leave. Live your life. Whatever."

"Ehm… No, I'm not? You—you need…" Medical attention, but the last time he touched the topic Haruhito had found himself in the beginning on an anxiety attack. "What… what is even going on? You're not sick, and…"

Haruhito eyed the Mongolian prince. His expression was still confusingly void of anything. Gone was the fear of the attack minutes ago, but there wasn't relief or anger or happiness. He almost looked robotic.

"It's a long, personal story," Haruhito replied with a calm voice.

"I have time…?" Jinhai shrugged. "I mean, I don't want to dig but I want to help you—I care for you, Haruhito."

The New Asian prince clenched his fist. "Yeah, sure you do…" he muttered sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Haruhito. I don't want you to be hurt. You can talk to me—I won't tell anyone."

"Anyone but the family of my country's enemy?" he snapped back.

Telling his father probably wasn't a good idea. His mother might be able to give him help on how to handle the situation, but both his parents cared too much for their country that they wouldn't exploit such a weakness. Theoretically, one of the reasons why Jinhai volunteered to go was to get information on New Asia…

But no. That was wrong. Haruhito was a friend—a good friend. He couldn't tell his brother either—maybe Lihau, his sister but both of them would probably side with their country in a war that really just needed to end…

"I wouldn't, I promise."

"That's what my sister said too," Haruhito huffed, looking down to Adern. "Guess where I ended up."

"… Where?"

Haruhito hadn't expected that question, evident by the surprise in his voice. "Mental health unit of the Central Tokyo Hospital. The first of many times that my father would lock me up somewhere somehow."

"Lock you up?" Jinhai repeated. "Like… how?"

"Either by admitting me to the hospital, again," Haruhito sounded bitter at the memory, "or just by locking me up in my room after making sure there's no sharps."

"Sharps?"

"Anything that can be used to harm myself," Haruhito explained, "or others."

Jinhai glanced down to the pocket knife that was still lying nearby him. Haruhito's blood was drying on it, but on his arm, it was still scarlet red. Harming others? What?

"It's not much fun," Haruhito muttered.

The knife or the hospital? Neither sounded very 'fun'. Awkwardly, Jinhai looked back to Haruhito's empty expression. What could he say? Maybe take the knife away, but would that be such a good idea, when Haruhito just said something about hurting others?

"Before you ask," Haruhito sighed. He probably didn't like the topic, "I have depression. Like, the actual illness, not the 'I feel so depressed' internet comment."

"… Oh." That seemed realistic.

"Which means, before you come up with anything, that I just got some… periods of being even more useless than usual. I just…" Haruhito sighed. "I don't need anything. There's just emptiness. Whatever. Don't worry."

"That's fine," Jinhai assured. "I mean, it's not fine that you feel like that but it's… valid?"

"Hm."

"… What's with the pills at the door?" Jinhai pressed, worried.

"Antidepressants, mainly. Why do you ask?"

He shook his head. "Just worried."

"I'm fine. Just—don't waste your time on me. It's not worth it."

"I don't think so."

"Well, sad life."

"Uh…"

"Spoiler, it's seriously not worth it."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Haruhito didn't answer. At first, Jinhai concluded that he didn't care, but then he realized that in Haruhito's expression was more confusion than anything else. He didn't know how to answer.

"I'm here if you need me. Adern seems to want me here."

Haruhito chuckled. "Maybe he just knows me too well… forget it."

Jinhai didn't want to forget. Instead, he took a seat at the edge of the bed, pulling the knife closer as he did. Haruhito didn't complain—good. He was just petting his cat.

"Have you eaten? You weren't at any meals…"

"… A bit."

"Which means?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

" _Haruhito, did you eat_?"

The New Asian just looked down in guilt. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Jinhai insisted. "You need to eat though."

"I will… later."

"I could recommend milk?"

"What are you?" Haruhito gave him a heartless laugh. "A cat?"

"Maybe?" The answer came a bit too soon. "Don't you like cats?"

Wrong answer, Jinhai thought, but he couldn't help himself. He was going in an absolutely wrong direction. Haruhito was probably not completely sound right now, and he shouldn't start flirting. Plus, they were in a freaking Selection!

"I do," Haruhito admitted with an almost-smile. "I do…"

Jinhai smiled. "There we go. Some milk. What else do you want?" He didn't know enough New Asian cuisine to offer anything Haruhito would like. "I might have some macarons left…"

He had never seen Haruhito take one though. It was the same with the chocolate though.

"I don't like sweet stuff," Haruhito admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize!"

"A sandwich?"

Jinhai smiled. "Wait here, don't move."

Haruhito gave him a lethargic, faked smile. "I wasn't planning to."

While keeping the knife (and wondering about other possible 'sharps' in the room), Jinhai swiftly went and asked for said food to keep his friend going. He convinced the guards that Haruhito was fine with him staying too—fortunately—and soon returned with a food tray.

Jinhai watched as Haruhito quietly and slowly ate, before handing the empty tray back. He wasn't going to contribute to the rubbish pile. When he returned, he noticed the time. Even though it wasn't _as_ late, he concluded that it probably was a good idea for Haruhito to sleep.

"You should sleep," he pointed out.

"Hm."

"What? Do you want me to sing a lullaby?" Jinhai sat down next to Haruhito onto the bed, although Haruhito now was under covers, with Adern on the other side. Now, he seemed content with Jinhai. Good—he had won the approval of the cat!

"No, thanks," Haruhito muttered. "But… could you…"

"Hm? What can I do?"

"Forget it."

"No. You tell me."

"…Ugh." Haruhito sighed. "Could you stay?"

Heat flushed Jinhai's cheeks. "Stay?" he repeated.

"It's been a while since I met a person who I got along with while being in a down," Haruhito admitted while looking away to his cat. Jinhai didn't know that he wasn't the first in a while but the first in ever, besides the cat.

"Oh." Jinhai blinked. "Sure, then."

Even though he promised that, Haruhito didn't fall asleep anytime soon. His head soon fell on Jinhai's shoulder (who also got himself comfortable), but he didn't fall asleep. It was Jinhai who soon drifted off, and was only woken by the meowing of Adern.

Haruhito was gone.

"Hey, Haruhito?" Jinhai, slightly sleepy, asked.

There was light still coming from the sitting room, and the swiss pocket knife reminded Jinhai of the untreated wounds on Haruhito's arm. He'd need to get him to see a doctor. Jinhai rose and stepped into the sitting room, just to find the other prince standing there, with one of the pill bottles and a glass of water.

"What's that?" he asked, completely forgetting the question from before. Plus, what if antidepressants weren't the only thing?

"This is a glass of water," Haruhito replied, lethargic.

"No, the pills," Jinhai replied protectively.

"Sleeping pills." Haruhito placed the glass back, and threw the bottle to Jinhai.

"I can't read this," he reminded him.

Haruhito shrugged. "Well, they're pretty common. Insomnia isn't a fun thing either. I should be sound asleep in forty-five minutes or so. What woke you up?"

"The cat."

Haruhito chuckled. "Oh, yeah, he doesn't like sharing me, I guess."

Without Jinhai even needing to prompt him, Haruhito slipped back into the large bed, and glared at the Mongolian. It didn't take Jinhai long to realize that Haruhito had decided that just like Adern, he was now keeping him company.

* * *

 _ **Thanks**_ Millyna _ **for this Jinhai One-Shot. Part II will be on Millyna's FF account, under the name "Tales of I'm sorry and I'm fine".**_

 _ **All reviews and Credits go for**_ Milly _ **.**_


	18. Millie's POV 2

**Princess Emilia Schreave**

 _[by Abizeau]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _A few days earlier..._**

Millie knocked on her mother's door. A light "come in" called out to her, and she pushed the door open. It was still quite early in the morning and the queen was still in bed, the breakfast tray on the duvet. She liked her morning solitude from time to time.

"Hello, sweetie," Elinor said putting her cup of coffee down on the tray next to her. "Everything alright?"

"Yes," Millie said, smiling. At least she didn't have to pretend to like her mother. She adored the woman! "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Zuni for a few days."

"Zuni?" Elinor said, curious. "Why on Earth Zuni?"

"Mom, it's the next province where I'm starting a school, remember?"

"Oh, I thought you already did that one."

"No. I had to swap provinces. They weren't ready yet, but now they are and I'm going. There are lots to do."

Elinor nodded and smiled, cupping her daughter's cheek. "I'm so proud of you, you know that?"

"Thanks Mom," Millie said. "But you'll be even more proud of me once I'm sitting on Dad's throne," she whispered with a smirk.

Elinor nodded. "Yes. But don't do anything rash. These things take time, and you're not above the law. You know that."

Millie nodded and tried not to roll her eyes. "Yes, I know Mom. Don't worry." She checked the time on her phone because carrying a watch was not fashionable enough to her taste. "I have to go. The limo's probably waiting." She bent over and kissed her mother's cheek. "I'll see you in a few days. I'll be back for the magazine thing, I promise. I wouldn't miss this."

"I know you wouldn't," Elinor said. "Safe trip, sweetie."

Millie chuckled a little bitterly. "Please don't call me that, mom. I'm not five years old, anymore."

"I know that," Elinor said with a warm smile. "Travel safe!"

Millie nodded and walked out the door. She better be quick or she might run into one of her sister's suitor going down to breakfast. And of course, she did. The Spanish guy. What was his name again? Never mind. She didn't care. All she knew was that he had been on YouTube with a marble track video, and it had hit millions of views. So childish.

She ignored him as they passed each other and headed straight for the main entrance, where a limo was waiting for her. The staff coming with her – her bodyguard, her lady's maid, and a couple others she didn't bother with –would be following in another car.

-x-x-x-

A few hours later, her private jet landed in an Airport in Zuni. She had something to do – or rather some people to see – before heading to the school business. A black car was waiting for her on the tarmac where three men sat inside, waiting.

Millie sat among them, her chin high. She needed to remind herself that she was the boss, here.

"Gentlemen," she said curtly. "Thank you for meeting me."

The three men nodded but didn't say anything.

"As you may know, my sister is heir to the throne and is holding her Selection. Common knowledge. Now, you may have heard rumors that she is a bit versatile and may be unfit for the throne." She paused to take her breath but continued her little speech. "I've called you here because I know from a reliable source that you work for the political party who doesn't want Elisabeth on the throne. Am I correct?"

The three men nodded. "That's correct, your Highness."

"Good." She took out four folders from her bag. "I'm not an expert like you, but I know how to do my research." She gave them all a black folder. "I've given you each, and myself too, five or six suitors to look into. I want you to find dirt on them. Anything that can have them eliminated from the Selection." She paused as they quickly looked through the pages. "Do you have any questions?"

"What do we do with the information we find?" one of them asked. "Do we expose them publicly?"

"No. Once you've found something with proof, send it to me. I'll take care to expose it and let my sister know." She smiled devilishly.

The men nodded again.

"You can find a secure number and a secure email address where to contact me in the folder."

She started for the door of the car, then paused. "Good luck, gentlemen."

She walked out and headed to the limo waiting for her around the corner of the airport building.

"Sorry for being late," she said to her chauffeur. "I didn't feel well and I had to take some air."

"That's okay, miss," the chauffeur said. "We've got time until your appointment with the governor of Zuni."

She nodded and the car drove off, to her official business.

-x-x-x-

Unbeknownst to Princess Emilia, one of the three men she had met with was not on her side. He was a mole. A mole planted there by someone who hated the second princess as much as he possibly could.

A man who would do anything to see the love of his life on her rightful throne.

Or not.

* * *

 _ **There you go, as requested by a guest, another Millie POV.**_

 _ **Sorry, it's kinda short, I wrote it on the train, this morning, in 30 min. lol. Hope you enjoyed!**_


	19. Jericho's sisters POV

**Jericho's Sisters, Oceanic Union**

 _[by Doctor Kay Sorceress Supreme]_

 _-x-x-x-_

 ** _A few days after the Illéa Weekly was out_**

There was a lot of chatter coming from the dining room as Glorianna entered for breakfast. Her sisters, Maria Josefina and Donatella, were seated at the table. They weren't eating, but rather, they were huddled over some sort of book and giggling.

"He's not that cute," MJ was saying. "You have weird taste, little sister."

"Good morning," Glorianna greeted.

Her sisters looked up.

"Hey. You slept in late," MJ noted.

"It's only nine o'clock," Glory pointed out as a servant brought her her daily coffee.

"That's late for you," said Donna. "Where's Aleksey?"

"Still sleeping." Glory sipped her drink. "So, what are you doing?"

"Catching up on the Selection," replied MJ. "Princess Eliza went on two more dates this week, plus another one that the camera didn't catch, apparently. Duke Sebastian, Prince Haruhito, and Prince Cian. They went to the zoo and a cat shelter." She wrinkled her nose.

"Sounds messy, but whatever the princess likes, I guess."

"Are you still obsessing over the Selection?" Glory asked.

"I am not ' _obsessing_ ,'" MJ claimed.

"You're caught up on every little thing that comes out of that palace," said Glory. "I wouldn't be surprised if you told me what they had for breakfast."

"I'm just catching up on the news," her sister said. "And they have breakfast buffets, so everybody eats something different for breakfast."

Glorianna rolled her eyes. "Of course, they do. What's that, then?"

"It's the Illéa Weekly magazine," MJ explained.

"More tabloids? You should stop reading those. They're just full of mindless gossip."

MJ grinned. "But this one is about the Selection. They've got exclusive photos of all the Selected, and they're _very_ cute." She slid the magazine across the table, open to a photo of one of the Selected. "That's Prince Caspian, from New France. He's hot."

"He's alright," said Donna. She flipped further. "Prince Rance is even hotter."

"You're crazy," said MJ.

"You're both crazy." Glory shook her head.

"Are we? You haven't even seen them yet."

Glory took the magazine. "I'll admit they're good-looking at least," she said.

"That's all you can say?" Donna said in disbelief.

"I wish I had a group of hot guys trying to get me to marry one of them." MJ sighed, a dreamy look on her face. "Princess Elizabeth is lucky."

Glory raised her eyebrows. "Oh, please."

"We can't all find our Prince Charming as easily as you, Little Miss Perfect," MJ quipped.

"I want one, too."

"You have a prince," Donna pointed out. "Where's mine?"

MJ sniffed. "I hardly know Nagahito." She changed the subject. "Anyway, look at this." She flipped through the magazine until she came across a familiar face.

"Oh, my God." Glorianna started laughing.

It was Jericho. He was dressed in a black shirt under a dark grey vest and pants, with a jacket tossed over his shoulder. The intense stare was uncharacteristic of her little brother.

"Is he supposed to look tough in this?" Glory asked in between giggles.

MJ snorted. "Please. Kuya Jericho is as tough as a bunny rabbit."

Donna laughed. "You're right."

"Has Chesa seen this yet?" Glory asked, referring to their last sister. She was studying in Singapore, so she wasn't at the palace.

MJ leaned over and snapped a photo of the magazine. "She has now."

"If you like the photo, you should read the interview," said Donna. "He said he still hasn't gone on a date with Princess Elisabeth. How has he not yet gone on a date with the princess?" Her tone was full of incredulous disbelief.

"Relax, Donna. The princess has a lot of suitors to get through," said Glory. "Jericho's probably just waiting."

"Or, she likes the other suitors more," Donatella said.

"She could always give them to me if she doesn't want them," said MJ with a mischievous smirk.

"In your dreams." Glory quickly read through the interview. "Jericho sounds like he's getting along with the princess, though. And with the other Selected."

"Maybe he can introduce me," said Donna.

"I meant, politically speaking. This is good for Oceania," Glory pointed.

"Don't talk political stuff, Ate," said MJ. "Save that for later."

Donna flipped through the magazine again. "They took polls, too. Most likely to make it to the Elite, most likely to get into a fight, softest suitor."

"Three guesses as to which one Jericho won," said MJ.

Glory laughed. "Softest suitor, no doubt."

"Like a bunny rabbit," Donna said, nodding seriously.

"Tsarevich Nikolai was voted cutest suitor," MJ read. "Aleksey's cousin. He's cute, but I don't know if I would say _cutest_."

"Obviously. Prince Rance is," said Donna. She turned to her older sister. "What do you think, Ate?"

"I don't think I should comment," Glory said, fidgeting with her wedding ring.

"Oh, come on," MJ said disbelievingly. She waved the magazine in her sister's face.

"Have you _seen_ these guys?"

Glorianna laughed. "Fine. Maybe the Duke from Belgium? Sebastian? He's pretty cute."

"Eh, he's all right." MJ shrugged.

"Good morning." Aleksey came into the dining room. He greeted Glory with a quick kiss and sat down next to her. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," she said defensively, switching to English.

"Just talking about how _hot_ the Duke from Belgium is, right, Ate?" MJ teased, laughing.

Aleksey raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"We were also laughing at Kuya Jericho's photoshoot," said Donna, giggling. "Your cousin has photos, too."

"He was also voted 'Cutest Suitor,'" said MJ.

Aleksey chuckled. "I'm not sure he has ever seen himself that way."

"Jericho said he and Nikolai are getting well, though," said Glory. "I'm glad they have someone familiar."

"Otherwise Kuya would just be a sad lonely boy the whole time," MJ said with a snicker.

"Isn't he already?" Glorianna couldn't resist the chance to take a jab at her little brother.

MJ and Donna grinned.

"You enjoy making fun of your brother too much," Aleksey chided, but he was smiling.

"All in good fun, Aleksey," said MJ. She glanced at her watch. " _Piskot_. I told Mother I would meet her for a party thing in five minutes."

"You're going to be late." Glory frowned disapprovingly.

"Yes, I'm aware of that," MJ quipped, rolling her eyes. "I have to go. You can keep that." She tossed the magazine towards Glory and winked.

"Donna, don't you have classes today?" Glory asked, ignoring MJ.

"Yes," her youngest sister replied, annoyed that she still had school.

"See you later, then." MJ waved goodbye and was quickly out the door. Donna followed close behind, rather sulky now that she had to learn instead of gossiping about the Selection.

Glorianna leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Finally. Peace and quiet."

Aleksey hummed in agreement. "So, what was that about Duke Sebastian?"

* * *

 _ **Thanks to Kay for this super funny One-Shot! :)**_

 _ **The Illéan Weekly is on the Pinterest board, in the Art section for those who haven't seen it yet ;)**_

 _ **All credit and Reviews go to Kay!**_


	20. Jericho's POV 2

**Prince Jericho, Oceanic Union**

 _[by Doctor Kay, Sorceress Supreme]_

-x-x-x-

 **Cinderella**

Jericho hated hospitals.

He hated everything about them, from the dizzying scent of disinfectant to the heavy feeling of sickness in the air. Anxiety instantly filled his stomach every time he stepped into a hospital. He hadn't been hospitalized since he was fourteen, but the frequent visits with his doctor left a bad taste in his mouth.

Still, how could he refuse?

When Eliza asked the Selected to accompany her to the hospital, Jinhai was quick to volunteer him. Jericho had been trying to fend off him for weeks now, wanting to avoid the hospital visits altogether, but the Mongolian Prince still somehow managed to convince him. Nikolai was going, which made him feel more at ease.

They touched down in Calgary sometime after lunch. The drive to the hospital wasn't very long, but Jericho's anxiety was rising the whole time. He tuned out Jinhai and Eliza's conversation about how excited they were to meet the children. When they arrived at the Calgary Children's Hospital, Haruhito became temperamental when Doctor Kay told him he couldn't bring Adern inside. There was something vaguely familiar about her.

The interior of the hospital was as colorful as the outside. The walls were decorated with bright forests and oceans. Words were inscribed on the walls, too, with stories and fairy tales for the kids to read. Jericho smiled in spite of himself. It was cute.

Their first stop was room 707, where Eliza and Jinhai were quick to meet with the kids. The children were eager to meet them, and they were soon playing with the various toys around the room.

Jericho paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he watched. Haruhito stayed behind, too. He looked about as good as Jericho felt.

"You okay?" Nikolai asked. He didn't go into the room either.

Jericho stiffened. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied. "I don't really like hospitals."

Nikolai looked around. "It looks more like a school than anything," he said.

"Except for that." Jericho pointed out one of the transport staff running and pushing a bed with a child on it.

"Excuse me." The nurse they met earlier, Nurse Gummy, pushed past them to catch up to the bed. Jericho stared after her, a pit in his stomach.

Haruhito slid down against the wall, drawing Nikolai and Jericho's attention. Haruhito's head was between his knees. His breathing was quick and ragged.

Jericho's throat tightened. Oh, God.

"Are you okay?" Nikolai asked. He put his hand on Haruhito's arm, but the other prince pushed him away. "Calm down!" He glanced at Jericho. "Stay with him. I'm going to get Jinhai."

Stay with him? Where exactly was he going to go? Haruhito was having a panic attack, Jericho was panicking. He stood, waiting for what seemed like hours as Haruhito's breathing quickened. _Do something_ , his brain screamed. But he froze. Where was Nikolai? Why was he taking so long?

Jinhai was the first to return. He came barrelling out of the room, nearly knocking Jericho over. The Mongolian Prince went to Haruhito, talking to him in a quiet, soothing tone. Jinhai murmured something softly. After a few minutes, he helped Haurhito stand up.

"I'm going back to the car with him," he said.

Jericho leaned against the wall and shut his eyes, trying to force his own heart rate to slow down. Breathing suddenly became very difficult. He couldn't afford a panic attack right now. He didn't want to end up like Haruhito. He didn't want to worry the others. He didn't want to worry Nikolai.

He turned sharply and started walking, eyes skimming the story on the wall. The hospital seemed cold. He was shaking all over. His head was buzzing, and he wanted to collapse. His heart hammered uncomfortably, like it was trying to jump out of his chest. He was afraid it would suddenly stop.

"Hi!"

Jericho looked down. A little girl was beaming up at him, one of the patients, he assumed by the plastic bracelet around her wrist. She couldn't have been more than six or seven.

"You're a prince, aren't you?" she asked. "What's your name?"

"Jericho."

She looked at him curiously. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was just, um, reading the story," he said.

"You breathe funny."

He noticed. His breathing was fast. Very fast. Like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs.

"Can you read me the story, too?" the little girl asked. She took his hand, not seeming to notice the way it shook.

He blinked, surprised by her request. "Uh, yeah, sure."

They walked back down the hallway to where the story started. It was Cinderella, and the girl,

Merissa said it was her favorite.

He began to read aloud, "Once upon a time, there was a girl called Cinderella who lived with her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters. Poor Cinderella had to work all day. She cooked the meals and cleaned the house. One day, an invitation to the royal ball arrived. The prince was looking for a bride, and everyone in the kingdom was invited."

"A royal ball! That sounds like so much fun," said Merissa. "Have you been to a royal ball? You're a prince!"

He smiled. "Yes, I have been to a ball before."

"And they're fun? Do you get to dance with princesses?"

"Something like that," he said. He continued, "Her stepmother ordered new gowns to be made for herself and her daughters. Cinderella had to work all day and all night to make the dresses. On the day of the ball, Cinderella came down the stairs in a dress she made for herself. Her stepmother and stepsisters were so angry to see her looking so beautiful that they tore up the dress and left without her. Cinderella began to cry when, all of a sudden, her Fairy Godmother appeared. 'You shall go to the ball,' the Fairy Godmother said. 'But I have no dress to wear,' cried Cinderella. Then, her Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand and Cinderella's rags turned into a beautiful new ball gown."

"Her dress is pretty," Merissa said, tracing the outline of the gown on the wall.

"Do you want a dress like that?" Jericho asked.

Merissa laughed. "Yes! I want to be a princess."

"I'm sure if you ask Princess Eliza nicely, she'll give you one of her dresses."

"Really?" Her eyes widened.

"Sure. The princess is very kind."

Merissa looked thoughtful, so Jericho continued with the story. "She found mice playing in the pumpkin patch. She waved her wand again and the pumpkin turned into a beautiful carriage, and the mice turned into horses. But her Fairy Godmother said the magic will only last until midnight, and she had to be home by then. So, Cinderella went to the ball, and everyone was so struck by her beauty that her stepmother and stepsisters did not know who she was. The prince asked Cinderella to dance. They danced all evening until it was almost midnight.

"Cinderella remembered her Fairy Godmother's words and told the prince she had to leave. As she ran down the steps of the palace, one of her glass slippers fell off, but Cinderella did not stop. She returned home just as the clock struck twelve, and her carriage turned back into a pumpkin, her horse became mice, and her beautiful ball gown became rags.

"The prince had fallen in love with Cinderella, so he picked up her glass slipper from the steps and said, 'I will marry the girl whose foot fits this slipper.' The prince took the glass slipper to every house in the kingdom, but it wouldn't fit. When they reached Cinderella's house, the two stepsisters tried their best to squeeze their big feet into the slippers. Finally, Cinderella tried the slipper and it fit perfectly. The prince knew It was the girl from the ball. He and Cinderella were married, and they lived happily ever after."

Jericho didn't realize it, but he was breathing normally now. His heart rate was slower.

Everything was fine.

Merissa sighed. "I like that story."

"Is she your favorite princess?" he asked.

She nodded. "She's pretty. And brave. My mom says I have to be brave. The doctors said I'm brave."

"I'm sure you are." All these kids were, to be fighting illnesses at such a young age.

"My mom says when I get out of the hospital, we're going to throw a party. Like Cinderella!" Merissa exclaimed, bouncing on her feet.

Jericho smiled. "And you're going to be a princess, right?" he asked.

"Yeah! You can be the prince!" Wait." Her nose scrunched up in thought. "You can't be the prince. You're going to marry Princess Eliza."

If he had been drinking water, he would have choked. "Uh, yeah."

Merissa didn't seem to notice. "That's okay. I'll find another prince."

By now, they had gone around the entire floor, ending up in the same place they had started earlier. Eliza and Nikolai came out of one of the rooms.

"Hey. Where have you been?" Eliza asked.

"I took a walk," he replied.

Nikolai took a step towards him, looking concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Jericho smiled. "Yeah," he said. This time, he meant it.

* * *

 _ **Thanks**_ Doctor Kay Sorceress Supreme _ **for this insight on Jericho during the Hospital visit!**_

 _ **I feel so bad for him...**_

 _ **All reviews and credits go to**_ Kay _ **! :D**_


	21. Haruhito's POV

**Prince Haruhito, New Asia**

 _[by Millyna]_

-x-x-x-

 ** _A few days before Eliza's Birthday._**

Haruhito groaned.

 **Adriel W. L'Alfayage** : You're about as helpful as my cat.  
 **SevenGreen** : i'm sorry? Do i look like i have friends?  
 **MillyBear** : i still think that girl is princess eliza  
 **SevenGreen** : me too, milly  
 **MillyBear** : SEV DID YOU READ THE NEW ILLEA WEEKLY ARTICLE!?  
 **Adriel W. L'Alfayage** : No?  
 **SevenGreen** : Raphliza?  
 **QueenKay** : ?  
 **QueenKay** : Someone explain this to your poor Brit.  
 **SevenGreen** : Later. Seven Green: bc I don't ship Raphliza.  
 **SevenGreen** : Tomliza ftw  
 **Adriel W. L'Alfayage** : lmao. You don't know how ridiculous that is.  
 **MillyBear** : DONT SAY THAT NEW ASIA DOESNT DO SHIPPING. YOU MADE ANIME!

Evidently, Haruhito's friends were not helpful in finding a birthday present for Eliza. Suggestions had ranged from anime DVDs (because Milly and Seven were obsessed with the idea that Haruhito was, well, Haruhito) to some obscure food that Kay had suggested. Neither of these ideas worked if put into the idea of royalty, and Haruhito was done with them for the evening. Jinhai did macarons and offered he could join, but honestly, Haruhito thought it was hypocritical, when he himself had never eaten one of them. [insert brief note on niko and jericho's presents] Also, people were really questioning them hanging out, and that wasn't good. That left him with round about two possibilities: his mother or his sister. Considering the fact that he hadn't faced his mother on the forgotten file yet, he was going to go for his sister. Too bad that it was three o'clock in the morning in Japan, but hey, Riko insisted that he could call her anytime, so... Haruhito just didn't like calls. Texts would work. Riko had a light sleep.

 _[the next conversation is in Japanese, obviously...]_

 **Haruhito** : Riko, wake up. I need your help.

It took approximately five seconds for the three dots indicating his older sister to be typing to appear. It took another three for a response to appear on his laptop.

 **Riko** : What happened?! Are you alright?! Can you call an ambulance?!

Oh. Right. Riko's 'you can call me whenever you want' wasn't directed at i-am-here-to-date-some-random-princess problems.

 **Haruhito** : ...

 **Haruhito** : no, I'm dead already and a ghost.

 **Haruhito** : come and pick up Adern, he doesn't like not being the only cat

As if on call, the ginger cat jumped onto his lap and landed on his keyboard. "Kitty, not now," Haruhito told him and gently pushed him off the keyboard onto his lap.

 **Riko** : What?!

 **Haruhito** : p;lk,mb

 **Haruhito** : that was Adern.

 **Riko** : What?! Haruhito: jk

 **Riko** : jk? I don't speak English well, you know that.

 **Haruhito** : just kidding はなんてね

 **Riko** : oh Riko: Are you alright though? Haruhito: yeah.

 **Riko** : Good. What's up?

 **Haruhito** : what do i get a girl for her birthday

 **Riko** : Elisabeth? Maybe you could ask friends?

 **Haruhito** : i don't have friends, thank you

Riko probably referred to Eliza's friends, and Haruhito did have friends (JeriNiko and Jinhai (kind of, if you took away the war?) and his online bunch of crazy peopel), but details.

 **Riko** : That's sad.

 **Haruhito** : Newsflash, I'm depressed.

 **Riko** ; I know. What does she like? Let me go and see if I can find mother's notes. You left them in your office, didn't you?

 **Haruhito** : think so

 **Riko** : what does she like?

 **Haruhito** : I don't know. Breaking rules? Getting drunk?

 **Riko** : Didn't she get a cat? Maybe you could get her something? These funny hats from the vending machines nearby school?

 **Haruhito** : that would be a nice idea.

 **Riko** : get her tales untold and sign it? Haruhito: Mother would kill me.

 **Riko** : Probably.

 **Haruhito** : i could use lihau as excuse

 **Riko** : Who?

 **Haruhito** : Jinhai's sister

 **Riko** : ? Mongolia? What is it with you two?

 **Haruhito** : nothing

 **Riko** : Yeah, no.

 **Haruhito** : We can't worsen international relations if we accidentally offend each other.

 **Riko** : What about Nikolai and Jericho?

 **Haruhito** : Friends?

 **Riko** : You aren't being consistent. What's going on?

 **Haruhito** : Spoiler.

 **Riko** : ?!

 **Haruhito** : wait Haruhito: she read book 1 on the plane.

 **Haruhito** : i'll get her book 2 and sign it and go with 'friend of friend knows addie'

 **Haruhito** : awesome

 **Riko** : What does spoiler even mean? You keep using it?!

 **Haruhito** : Spoiler

 **Haruhito** : gn

 **Riko** : What?

* * *

 _ **Thanks, Millyna for this funny OS of Haruhito trying to find a gift idea for Eliza's birthday! xD**_

 _ **All reviews and credits go to Milly, of course.**_


	22. Rama's POV 4

**Prince Rama, Kingdoms of India and Bangladesh**

 _[by The Pocketwatch Ripper]_

 ** _1 Day After Chapter 39_**

Rama looked at the two tickets he had bought for the Angeles County Fair. He figured he'd give them to someone else. The Indian Prince would be gone before everyone else woke up and he preferred it that way. The room he had stayed was left completely tidy, with only a lotus flower bobbing lightly in a bowl of water on a scratched-up nightstand indicating he was ever there.

Rama had sent messages to Sita and Meera, but then they were somewhere in Dominica for the week. They offered support and asked Rama if he wanted to come. He peacefully declined to say that too much sun and travel would be bad for his health. Rama then got a message from Ali saying that he sent his own personal plane to come to get Rama.

"How... generous of him," Rama said as he rode a motorcycle, he bought to the airport. Off handing it to some teenager when he got to the airport. He gave the tickets to a couple whose names he never got settling on naming them Honey and Darling. Once at the airport he was immediately taken to a section of the airport reserved for private planes. Inside were several businessmen and multimillionaires. The only one that stuck out was an old man wearing and oversize robe with a watch on his hip. His face was obscured by the hood of the robe. He faced Rama then turned away, Rama shrugged and looked around finding a pudgy Indian man with a thick mustache.

"Kabir, I assume you are here to take me home?" Rama said. The man nodded with a jolly smile. Rama didn't like Kabir, he was Ali's pilot and while a jolly man with a near perfect family he shared Arjun's ideals. It's a wonder how Ali kept him.

"I apologize for losing your contest, Prince Rama. You'll find that Mrs. Eddowes has completed your work while you were gone." Rama forced a smile. Kabir was definitely not the face he wanted to see.

"Thank you, Kabir. If you don't mind can you take me straight to Kolkata? I want to see Mrs. Eddowes and Brahmastra." Kabir nodded and escorted Rama to the rather large plane. Once seated Rama fell into a deep sleep. Vasavi hopping up onto his lap and purring gently against his master.

 **-x-x-x-**

 ** _Some Hours Later_**

When Rama woke up, he looked out to the window to see India below. They had passed Bengal and were now descending to New Delhi.

"I knew it." Rama said, calling Kabir. "Kabir, I order you to fly me to Bengal," Rama said, his voice stern but slurred due to the jet lag.

"Apologies Rama but this was a direct order from Krishna himself," Kabir said. Rama smacked his head. Of course, it was. Meera must've told him about the elimination. Rama didn't want to leave the plane, fearing his father's wrath. King Krishna wouldn't take kindly to him being taken out. Eventually, Rama left the plane. He was met with Karna who told him all about his training as a prince and the friends he's made while Rama was gone. Vasavi was the only one interested as Rama was escorted to the palace by several guards of the royal palace.

The streets of New Delhi hadn't changed. The driving was erratic as always, the people still meandered about. It was all the same, Rama half-expected Ali to drive by – as expected, he didn't. The Grand Palace of New Delhi was the same, immaculate and white. It looked like a mausoleum to Rama now.

When Rama was escorted in, he was led to the conference hall, the very same one he was in when he was chosen. In the very same seat except for this time, the chairs beside him were empty, no Sita grading papers, no Karna playing cards, no Ali asleep. Rama sat and waited for what seemed like an eternity despite the clock telling him that 40 minutes had passed. A door opened and Rama looked to see... Arjun.

"Father I..." Arjun said before seeing Rama.

"Oh... Rama back so soon?" He crooned. Rama grumbled

"Look Arjun, say anything and I'll make sure they never find your body," Rama said pointing a finger.

"Oh no, I won't say anything, Rammy. I was just turning in my reports for Sri Lanka. You know as a prince should do instead of chasing after fruitless pursuits." Rama bit his tongue, this wasn't his day. Krishna entered soon afterward. There were no servants this time, Krishna sat down, ignoring Arjun.

"Rama, my son. I apologize for forcing you to go to Illea." Krishna said. Rama raised an eyebrow, was he apologizing? Rama was certain he was going to be exiled or worse. "You were there to strengthen our delicate relations with Illea. However, I see that it was a mistake. Not only a mistake to participate but a mistake to send you." Rama winced. "Not only that, but King Oliver has also sold his daughter to an enemy, Iran. This will not go unpunished, I won't cut off spices and gems. But the agreement will tighten and tighten until..."

"Father... don't," Rama said, Krishna looked up surprised.

"What?" Krishna said.

"I said don't, father, if you do that we'll be bombarded on both sides," Rama said, and Krishna growled.

"I don't think you understand, child-" Rama cut off the king again.

"I understand full well father, you feel insulted. You wanted to grip Illea by the throat and slam them down, but it won't work father. It won't consult with your advisors and Ali." Rama said standing up.

"I think he's been radicalized by Illéa, father." Arjun said walking up to Rama. Rama looked at Arjun. Rama's brother grinned, his perfect white teeth showing, a malicious look in his eyes.

"You can't even last in some stupid contest." Arjun cooed, placing his hand on Rama's shoulder then pushing him, sending the prince stumbling back. Arjun walked closer.

"What did I tell you, Rama? Illéan women would never be interested in you. I heard through the grapevine that those first two were technicalities. Who else was eliminated? South American princes? African Princes? Go on, as the Illéans say, spill the fucking tea." Arjun shouted pushing Rama harder. Rama balled his hands and refused to speak.

"Or is it just because of you?" Arjun whispered.

"Sloppy... Underdressed... Immature... Clumsy..." Arjun spat with harder pushes. "You were never worth her time. She never even considered you. You wasted your time with a woman who only ever cared about Euro-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Rama said as he swung and punched Arjun clean across the jaw, Arjun staggered back, falling grabbing his jaw. Rama placed his shoe on Arjun's chest, grinding the heel of it into his chest.

"Was I worth her time? Probably not, but you know what? At least I had a good time, I made friends and at least I gave it a chance instead of having my head up my ass with assumptions about countries you know don't know anything about." Krishna slammed his hand on the table.

"Rama, that's enough. Arjun you too; both of you are dismissed." Krishna said leaving.

Rama huffed and quickly left. Kabir stood by the door. Rama didn't want to stay in New Delhi, he wanted to go back to Kolkata.

"Kabir, take me to Kolkata, now." The Indian Prince all but growled. Kabir nodded and escorted him to Ali's plane.

"Oh and one more thing... send an invitation to the prince of Monaco and the Prince of Greece. I want to show my friends the beauty of Bengal." Rama said. Kabir blinked but said he'd pass along the memo. Rama smiled and walked alongside Kabir. He had yet processed everything but in a way, he was glad to be gone. Bengal was his home and it always would be, even if he never found love. Bengal would always be his. The people loved him. As he was boarding the plane, he got a message.

"You left so soon? I wanted to show my best friend for a good time! I understand though, make sure that palace is shiny when I go see you." Rama couldn't help but grin. Of course, there was Arash too.

* * *

 _ **Thank you,**_ Pocket _ **, for this bittersweet and final One-Shot of Rama! I'm glad he made some friends during the Selection ;) Adrien, Xander, and Arash will have lots of fun in Bangladesh with him ;)**_

 _ **All reviews and Credits go to**_ The Pocketwatch Ripper _ **.**_


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